Agartala-Akhaura railway link: Transforming trade dynamics in Tripura while traders tread with caution

In a monumental development, the Agartala-Akhaura railway link has emerged as a game-changer for trade in Tripura, a landlocked state in the Northeast region. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, jointly inaugurated this transformative infrastructure project on Wednesday. This railway link is poised to significantly slash travel time between Agartala and Kolkata, reducing it from 31 hours to a mere 10 hours.

Spanning a distance of 12.24 kilometres, with 5.46 kilometres falling within Indian territory in Tripura and the remaining 6.78 kilometres in the Akhaura upa-zilla of the Brahmanbaria district in Bangladesh, the journey begins in Agartala and progresses through Nischintapur, a crucial point for immigration checks at the Indian-Bangladesh border. The first station on the Bangladeshi side will be Gangasagar.

This milestone is expected to have a far-reaching positive impact on tourism, trade, and people-to-people interactions between the two nations.

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Yet, amidst the optimism, there is a degree of uncertainty regarding how much it will truly benefit traders in Battala Market, perhaps the second largest market near the Bangladesh border in Tripura.

Sujit Roy, Secretary of the India Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, Tripura Chapter, expressed confidence in the initiative, emphasizing that it will streamline the transportation of goods, both swiftly and at a lower cost.

"The new beginning will be beneficial for the traders in the state. It will be very easy to bring the goods in a short time period with a very low cost," he stated.

Ranjit Das, a fish trader, acknowledged that there may be some adjustments in business operations with the opening of the Agartala-Akhaura railway link for trade.

"We usually import fish through the Integrated Check Post. We place an order a day before and receive it the next day. However, if we import fish via train, it will be more challenging for us, as the fish comes from villages in Bangladesh. I don’t think it would be that beneficial for traders, especially for fish imports," he explained.

Another trader, Subhas Das, sees the new route as an opportunity for expanded trade, albeit with potential challenges.

"The Agartala-Akhaura railway link is very close to Agartala city and the largest market in the state. However, we are not sure what kind of goods we can import or export. Now, it depends on the government. We will wait for the government's decision, hoping for the best," he added.