India-Bangladesh finalize railway links
By ANIThursday, September 9, 2010
AGARTALA - Railway officials of India and Bangladesh have finalized railway link alignment to improve connectivity between the two countries in Agartala.
It will reduce the distance to Kolkata by nearly three times.
The distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Guwahati is 1,200 kilometres (km) at present which would be reduced to 519 km if the linkage was completed.
Officials of Tripura government, the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and Bangladesh Railways met here on Wednesday to complete technical formalities for laying the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link.
“Indian party also visited and now we will finalize the alignment. Both the government will decide if they can accept it, or they can modify it, whatever they will decide. We will propose today,” said Y. Ali Mirdha, Bangladesh Railway’s Chief Engineer.
The proposed railway link is 13 kilometres long, 5.4 kilometers of which would be in the Indian territory.
The construction of the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link, to be financed by India, was agreed upon during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010. By Pinaki Das (ANI)
