Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link
India announces take-up connectivity project
India yesterday announced taking up the rail connectivity project linking Agartala, capital of the northeastern state of Tripura, with Akhaura in Bangladesh in a bid to improve ties between the two countries.
The proposal to take up the Agartala-Akhaura rail line project, envisaged in the joint communiqué during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to Delhi in January, 2010, was made by Indian Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi.
Presenting his ministry's budget in Parliament yesterday, he said, “To have cordial and improved relations with the neighbouring countries, Indian Railways takes up projects to provide rail connectivity to such countries.
“This year, it is proposed to take up a project to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh.”
This will also help establish connectivity with inaccessible areas in the northeast as the journey from Kolkata to Tripura via Bangladesh will result in significant savings in time and distance travelled, he added.
Agartala is 1,650km from Kolkata and 2,637km from New Delhi via Guwahati, capital of Assam state, and West Bengal, whereas the distance between the Tripura capital and Kolkata through Bangladesh is just about 350 km.
Under the railway budget proposal this year, India will build a 15km railway track linking Agartala with Akhaura, which is also an important railway junction connected with Chittagong port, Sylhet and Dhaka.
Trivedi, in his budget, did not mention how much money would be earmarked for Agartala-Akhaura link but the total cost of the proposed project is estimated at Rs 252 crore.
“The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) would lay the new railway tracks on both sides of the border,” Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) Arvind Sewary had told reporters recently.
The project is expected to be completed by 2014.
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