Agartala, June 24, 2023: In a bid to accelerate the progress of the Agartala-Akhaura railway connectivity project between India and Bangladesh, the Indian Railways has announced the allocation of Rs. 153.84 crores from its own budget.
According to a press release issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the construction of the Agartala-Akhaura international rail line, a crucial project nearing completion, is currently underway with great momentum. This project aims to connect Agartala, the capital city of Tripura, with Akhaura in Bangladesh.
The railway line, spanning 15.064 kilometers in total (5.05 kilometers in India and 10.014 kilometers in Bangladesh), will establish a connection to Akhaura in Bangladesh through an international immigration station at Nischintapur. This station will serve as a dual gauge facility for passenger and goods interchange between India and Bangladesh. The project includes the construction of one major bridge and three minor bridges. Once completed, the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka, currently taking approximately 31 hours, will be significantly reduced to just 10 hours.
This new railway link is expected to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh, foster the growth of small-scale industries in the border region, and boost tourism in the northeastern region, particularly in Tripura. Additionally, it will facilitate faster import and export of commodities and enable local producers to efficiently export their goods.
“The estimated cost for completing the Indian portion of the project is Rs. 862.58 crores, with funding provided by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER). Out of the allocated funds, approximately Rs. 708.74 crores have already been disbursed and utilized. The remaining balance of funds from the Ministry of DONER is currently being processed. However, to expedite the progress of the pending work, the Indian Railways has taken the proactive step of allocating Rs. 153.84 crores from its own budget. With the release of these additional funds, work at the site is progressing rapidly,” stated the press release.
