Indian PM Narendra Modi on Monday laid the foundation stone for Sikkim’s first railway station viz Rangpo station.

The event marked a new beginning in the state which waited patiently for the establishment of a railways station for the past 49 years.

Residents depended on road and air transport modes so far.

“Rangpo station is the form of a touristic and defensive point of view for Sikkim and India, Basically, Sikkim did not have a railway line earlier. The government has signed this project in three phases. In the first phase, Sevoke to the Rangpo rail project; in the other phase, from Rangpo to Gangtok; and the third phase, from Gangtok to Nathula,” Deputy railway manager of Alipurduar Amarjeet Agrawal said to ANI.

Sivok-Rangpo is a 45-kilometre-long rail line connection project.

As part of the project, 41.55 km in length falls in West Bengal and 3.41 km in Sikkim.