New Delhi | India on Monday announced its joint plan with Bhutan to implement two cross-border rail links with Bhutanese cities of Samtse and Gelephu at a cost of more than Rs 4,000 crore.

The details of the initiative were made public by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at a media briefing.

The two governments have agreed to establish two cross-border rail links to connect Banarhat (West Bengal) to Samtse and Kokrajhar (Assam) with Gelephu, Misri said.

"India and Bhutan share a relationship of exceptional trust, mutual respect and understanding," he said.

The agreement for setting up of the rail links was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan last year.

Vaishnaw said the projects will take off from the network of Indian Railways. The investment envisaged at this point is about Rs 4,033 crore, he said.

The railway minister said an 89-km railway network will be created under the initiative.