Haldibari: In a significant step to boost railway connectivity between India and Bangladesh, India and Bangladesh started regular operation of freight trains through the restored Haldibari – Chilahati Rail Route with effect from August 1, 2021 when Indian Railways dispatched the first freight train loaded with stones from Damdim Station of Northeast Frontier Railway (India) to Bangladesh.
Around 20 freight trains per month are expected to be interchanged through this rail link. The link is intended to improve freight and passenger connections between Bengal and the Assam and West Bengal regions, and will aid the growth of trade and economic development in the region.
It may be mentioned that the Haldibari (India)-Chilahati (Bangladesh) rail link was reopened by both the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on December 17, 2020 for movement of passenger and goods traffic. A passenger train service, New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka- New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express wasalso announced jointly by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 27, 2021, service of which could not be started due to Covid Pandemic.
The first goods train from Damdim station of Alipurduar Division scheduled for Bangladesh through the re-opened Haldibari – Chilahati rail link crossed the Zero point at 16:35 hrs today.
This rail link will boost trade and encourage development of the region. pic.twitter.com/eadOcmgUQY
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) August 1, 2021
The distance between Haldibari Railway Station till the international border is 4.5 km, while that of Chilahati is around 7.5 km. till the ‘zero point’. As of now, five links connecting India with Bangladesh have been made operational which include Petrapole (India) – Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India) – Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India) Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India) – Birol (Bangladesh) with Haldibari-Chilahati forming the 5th such link.
The Haldibari – Chilahati rail link between India and the then East Pakistan was operational till 1965. This was part of the Broad Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during partition. Trains travelling to Assam and North Bengal continued to travel through the then East Pakistan territory even after partition. However, the war of 1965 effectively cut off all the railway links between India and the then East Pakistan.
– global bihari bureau
