Agartala-Bangladesh railway link near completion: GM East Central Railway

Anil Kumar Khandelwal, General Manager of East Central Railway, stated on Wednesday that the train service between India and Bangladesh will soon operate in a full-fledged manner as the construction work of the Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway link is progressing rapidly and nearing completion.

Khandelwal, who arrived in Agartala, inspected the Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway link at Nischintapur in West District.

The Agartala–Akhaura railway link is a project of immense national importance. The construction of its Indian portion is being implemented by the Ministry of Railways through M/s Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and funded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER).

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The construction of the Bangladesh portion is being implemented by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The link will provide additional connectivity between India and Bangladesh, encouraging trade between the two nations. The alignment of the project spans 5.46 km in India and 6.78 km in Bangladesh, with a total project cost of Rs. 972.52 crore for both the Indian and Bangladesh portions.

Later, while speaking with reporters, the NFR official said, “Work is progressing rapidly, and soon trains will be operational between Bangladesh and India. People and goods will be able to travel between the two countries, boosting the economy and facilitating development. After arranging talks between countries it will work in a full-fledged manner. The infrastructure work of Northeast Frontier Railway is also advancing swiftly."

“Many new lines are being added every year, with around 400 km of new tracks being laid. Almost all states are being connected. Due to heavy rain, railway tracks were damaged at Jatinga Lampur and New Harangajao, but they have now been restored, and all trains are running as usual. Electrification work is also progressing smoothly,” he added.