Jalpaiguri: Now, 31 hours journey from Kolkata to Agartala via Dhaka is to be reduced to 10 hours. It will take just 10 hours to reach Kolkata from Agartala via Dhaka. It is surprising but true, thanks to the Indian Railways. The Indian Railways is constructing a rail line up to Akhaura in Bangladesh from the Indian side. The travelling time from Agartala to Kolkata will be reduced after the construction of this rail route via Dhaka in Bangladesh.
A journey of 31 hours will be reduced to only 10 hours. The India-Bangladesh Akhaura railway expansion project is on the verge of completion. Additional money has also been allocated by the railways to complete the project. Sabyasachi Dey, chief public relations officer of North-East Frontier Railway, said that the Railway Ministry had promised to expand the railway line from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh in the North-East.
"That work is well advanced. The government of India has allocated an additional Rs 153 crore to the railways. Keeping in view the Prime Minister's 'Act East Policy' and 'Neighbourhood First Policy' approach, Indian Railways has been continuously working on the railway line projects to connect neighbouring Bangladesh," Dey said.
Also read: Agartala-Akhaura railway link to be completed within 5 months: NFR official
The Agartala-Akhaura international rail link project between India and Bangladesh, for connecting Tripura's capital city Agartala to Bangladesh's Akhaura, has been progressing rapidly. It is reported that the estimated cost of completing the Indian portion of the project was Rs 862.58 crore. Rs 708.74 crore was spent so far. An allocation of Rs 153.84 crore was pending, which has been allocated now. The total length of the railway line is 15.064 km, while a 5.05 km track is being laid on the Indian side and a 10.014 km track will cover the Bangladesh side.
Besides, the railways also connect with the international immigration station at Nishchintapur. One major bridge and three minor bridges were also constructed while laying the tracks. The new rail project is expected to strengthen bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh.
It will also help in the development of small-scale industries in the border regions, as well as improvement in the socio-economic condition in the Northeast, besides booting the tourism industry in Tripura. The new rail project will also help in employment generation, claimed the chief public relations officer of North East Frontier Railway.
