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Akhaura–Agartala line

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Akhaura–Agartala line
Overview
StatusNon-operational
Owner
Locale
Termini
Stations4
Service
TypeRailway line
Operator(s)
History
Opened1 November 2023
Technical
Line length12.24 km (7.61 mi)
Track gauge
Route map

Akhaura–Agartala line is a railway line between Bangladesh and India.[1] The railway line is a pivotal achievement for both countries. It has several benefits including, boosting tourism in the North East of India, reducing travel time from Kolkata to Agartala from 31 hours to a mere 10 hours by rail, reducing cost of cargo transport to and from Bangladesh and the North East of India, improving bilateral relations and more. It is expected to also act as a gateway to other northeastern states of India such as Assam, southern Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

History

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Construction inauguration plaque at Akhaura Junction railway station

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Governments of India and Bangladesh on 16 February 2013 to establish the rail connection between Agartala railway station in India's northeastern state of Tripura and Akhaura Junction railway station in Bangladesh.[2] The project involves a 12.24 km railway line, with 5.46 km on the Indian side and 6.78 km in Bangladesh.[3][4]

The total cost of the project was estimated at ₹972.52 crore, covering both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions. The Indian segment was initially sanctioned at ₹580 crore, but the estimate was later revised, all of which has been released by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The Bangladeshi segment is being built at a cost of ₹392.52 crore, funded through grant assistance by India’s Ministry of External Affairs.[5]

Construction began on 29 July 2018, but the project faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and missed several deadlines, initially 2020, then pushed to May 2021,[6] June 2022[7] and June 2023.[8][9]

A trial run of an empty container train was conducted successfully in September 2023.[10] The line was inaugurated on 1 November 2023 in a virtual ceremony by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.[11]

The Indian portion was executed by IRCON International Limited, while the Bangladeshi portion was handled by Bangladesh Railway.[12] A notable infrastructure element on the Indian side is a 3.7 km viaduct, designed to minimize the impact on cultivable land.[13] The railway features dual gauge tracks in Bangladesh and broad gauge tracks in India.

As of 2025, despite the inauguration, regular passenger and freight services remain non-operational due to incomplete approach infrastructure.[14][15][16][17]


References

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  1. ^ "আগরতলা-আখাউড়া রেলপথের কাজ এগোচ্ছে". Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Work on Agartala-Akhaura rail link to commence soon". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ^ Ghosh, Saptaparno (9 November 2023). "Explained | The Agartala-Akhaura rail link". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  4. ^ "New Akhaura-Agartala Railway Link to Reduce Travel Time, Spur Commerce". SASEC. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  5. ^ Singh, Bikash (1 November 2023). "New India-Bangladesh rail line to cut distance between NE states and Kolkata to 500 km against existing 1600 km". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  6. ^ "আখাউড়া-আগরতলা রেলপথ: সময় বাড়ল ২০২১ সালের মে পর্যন্ত". Dbcnews.tv (in Bengali). 4 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  7. ^ "আখাউড়া-আগরতলা রেলপথের অগ্রগতি নিয়ে হতাশ রেলমন্ত্রী". Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  8. ^ Hridoy, Masuk (9 November 2022). "আখাউড়া-আগরতলা রেলপথ: ৪ বছরেও শেষ হয়নি ১৮ মাসের প্রকল্প". The Daily Star (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 27 November 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  9. ^ Deb, Debraj (29 March 2023). "88% of Agartala-Akhaura international railway connectivity project complete, work to finish in next 5-6 months: Tripura transport minister". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  10. ^ Ali, Syed Sajjad (14 September 2023). "Freight train trial conducted in Agartala-Akhaura rail route". The Hindu.
  11. ^ "'Historic': PM Modi, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurate cross-border rail link". The Indian Express. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Agartala-Akhaura rail line to be completed by December: Official". Financialexpress. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Land acquisition for Bangladesh rail link to start soon". The Indian Express. 10 July 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Fueling Tripura – Bangladesh connectivity! Maitri Setu and Agartala-Akhaura Rail link to start operations soon, says CM Manik Saha". Financialexpress. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
  15. ^ Porecha, Maitri (6 August 2024). "Turmoil in Bangladesh delays Agartala-Akhaura line connectivity project further". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Tripura: Cross-Border Projects Worth Rs 1,300 Crore Stalled Amid Bangladesh Political Unrest <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@ManashjyotiS"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Tripura: Cross-Border Projects Worth Rs 1,300 Crore Stalled Amid Bangladesh Political Unrest"> <meta name="twitter:description" content="

    Agartala: As many as three projects worth over Rs 1,300 crores in Tripura with Bangladesh have been halted due to the ongoing political situation in the neighbouring country. The projects include the Maitri Setu, an Integrated Check Post (ICP) in the South district and the Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link in Nischintapur of the West Tripura district.  

    The <a title="Maitri Setu (lit. 'friendship bridge') is a 1.9-kilometre (1.2 mi) bridge on Feni River which links Sabroom in Tripura, India and Ramgarh in Chittagong, Bangladesh" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitri_Setu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maitri Setu bridge </a>is 1.9 kilometres long and connects Sabroom in Tripura with Ramgarh in Bangladesh. The bridge has been constructed over the Feni River, which acts as a boundary between India (in Tripura) and Bangladesh. Tripura shares an approximately 856 km-long international border with Bangladesh. 

    The construction was undertaken by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd at a project cost of Rs 133 crores. The foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, 2021.

    This ICP is expected to ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries, provide new market opportunities for products from North Eastern states and assist in the seamless movement of passengers. The project is being undertaken by the Land Ports Authority of India at an estimated cost of Rs 232 crores. 

    <img class="img-responsive" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title=" Cross-Border Projects Worth Rs 1,300 Crore Stalled " src="../storage/app/public/post/inner-photo/WhatsApp Image 2025-01-06 at 2.41.48 PM.jpeg" alt="three projects worth over Rs 1,300 crores in Tripura with Bangladesh have been halted due to the ongoing political situation" width="415" height="234">
     
    The <a title="Akhaura–Agartala line is a railway line between Bangladesh and India." href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhaura%E2%80%93Agartala_line" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agartala–Akhaura railway link</a> is a project of immense national importance. Construction of its Indian portion is being implemented by the Ministry of Railways through Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and funded by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER).

    Construction of the Bangladesh portion is being implemented by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The alignment of the project spans 5.46 km in India and 6.78 km in Bangladesh. The total project cost is Rs 972.52 crores for both the Indian and Bangladeshi portions.  

    Speaking about the issue, Tripura Cabinet Spokesperson Sushanta Chowdhury said that the Tripura government is concerned about the ongoing projects and the present situation in the neighbouring country.

    ALSO READ: <a class="fw-bold" href="../agri-minister-reviews-schemes-with-states-ahead-of-budget-expects-upto-4-growth-in-fy25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agri Minister Reviews Schemes with States Ahead of Budget; Expects Upto 4% Growth In FY25</a>

    Sushanta Chowdhury, who is also the Minister of Transport and Tourism, said that the central government is only waiting for the situation to stabilize so that the projects can restart immediately. 
     
    “We are also concerned about the situation in Bangladesh because the Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link, a project worth almost Rs 1,000 crores, has stopped. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated these projects. While the Indian portion of the work is complete, the Bangladesh portion is still pending. It was expected that within four months, the project would be fully operational and trade and passenger movement between both countries would commence, benefiting both nations. The Special Economic Zone and Maitri Setu projects are also pending,” Sushanta Chowdhury said.

    He further mentioned that the process for starting air connectivity between Agartala and Chittagong in Bangladesh has been delayed. 
     
    “The situation in Bangladesh has become the main issue for us. The attacks on minorities cannot be accepted. We are hopeful that good days will come soon and things will change. If these projects start, people from both countries will benefit, but for now, both nations are affected. I believe the Indian Government is keeping a close eye on the situation,” he added.

    "> <meta name="twitter:image" content="http://web.archive.org/web/20250118035245im_/https://business-northeast.com/image-compress.php?imgpath=https://www.business-northeast.com/storage/app/public/post/feature-img/511211736155382.jpg"> <meta property="og:image" content="http://web.archive.org/web/20250118035245im_/https://business-northeast.com/image-compress.php?imgpath=https://www.business-northeast.com/storage/app/public/post/feature-img/511211736155382.jpg">"    . www.business-northeast.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.     {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 93 (help)
  17. ^ Seli, Yeshi (30 August 2024). "Turmoil in Bangladesh likely to stall bilateral projects involving India". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
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