Rail link between Tripura and Bangladesh to be completed by September 2023: State Transport Minister

The Transport Minister said G. Kishan Reddy who visited Tripura recently held a meeting with IRCON officials to review the progress of the Indo-Bangla railway link. Around 85% of the work has been completed and 73% of work has been done on the Bangladesh side.

Agartala Railway station. File | Photo Credit: Abhisek Saha

The 15-km rail link connecting Agartala with Gangasagar in Brahmanbaria district Bangladesh will be completed by September, 2023, said Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury. 

Mr. Chowdhury said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told him that the Indo-Bangla (Agartala-Gangasagar) railway work would be completed by September this year. 

“Recently I met the Railway Minister in Delhi and discussed the Indo-Bangla railway connectivity project from Agartala to Gangasagar. I drew his attention to the non-release of ₹150 crore for completion of work on the Indian side work. Instantly he spoke to DoNER Minister G. Kishan Reddy and requested him to release the outlay”, Mr. Chowdhury told reporters on April 21. 

The Transport Minister said Mr. Reddy who visited Tripura recently held a meeting with IRCON officials to review the progress of the Indo-Bangla railway link. Around 85% of the work has been completed and 73% of work has been done on the Bangladesh side. 

Mr. Chowdhury said the proposed rail link from Dharmanagar to Kailashahar via Pecharthal also came up for discussion at the meeting. 

“The Railway Minister said the survey work for the rail link is on the verge of completion. The ₹1,855 crore rail link proposal is under consideration of the Railway Board,“ he said. 

The Railway Minister is scheduled to visit Tripura to lay the foundation stone for upgrading Agartala railway station as an international station within the next two months. 

“We have been pursuing the project for some time now. The Railway Minister informed that ₹24.42 lakh has been sanctioned for preparing DPR for upgradation of Agartala railway station,“ he said. 

On a separate railway link from Lumding to Sabroom (South Tripura), Chowdhury said this was also discussed at the meeting. 

“At present, the northeastern state is connected with a single line. It means the railways are using one line. We want a separate line to boost the railway connectivity. The Railways Minister said the project is also under consideration,“ he stated. 

Mr. Chowdhury said he also took up the issue of another Indo-Bangla railway link from Belonia in South Tripura to Zero Point to connect Bangladesh’s Feni district. 

“We were informed that steps have been taken for preparing the DPR for the 30-km railway link between two sides of the border”, he added.