ProMASS News Bureau: Feb 10, 2016:
Government has sanctioned Rs. 580 crore as part of the cost for constructing the 15-km railway track that will connect Kolkata with Tripura via Bangladesh.
The Agartala-Akhaura rail-link between Indian Railway and Bangladesh Railway will reduce the current 1700 km road distance between Kolkata to Agartala via Siliguri to just 350 km by railway. Though 10 km of the 15 km rail distance falls within Bangladesh, the entire cost of Rs. 1000 crore will be funded by India. The project is expected to be completed by 2017.
Sources say the Indian section will be on elevated tracks to Lookreduce land acquisition costs. AIR Dhaka correspondent reports the project ranks high on Prime Minister’s ‘Act ‘ East Policy, and is expected to increase connectivity and boost trade between India and Bangladesh.
The two countries had agreed to lay the Agartala-Akhaura rail-link during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in 2010, the modalities of which were finalised during former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visit to Bangladesh in 2011.
