PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina Inaugurate Haldibari-Chilahati Rail Hyperlink

New Delhi:

Defunct for the reason that India-Pakistan conflict of 1965, the rail hyperlink between Haldibari and Chilahati was once inaugurated via Top Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, taking the collection of operational rail hyperlinks between the 2 international locations to 5.

With this new hyperlink getting into operation, vacationers from Bangladesh will be capable of consult with puts like Darjeeling, Sikkim, Dooars, except international locations like Nepal and Bhutan, very easily.

Financial actions of those South Asian international locations may also be benefitted from this new rail hyperlink, the railways mentioned.

PM Modi and Ms Hasina collectively inaugurated the railway hyperlink between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh right through a chief minister-level digital bilateral summit.

Later, a items teach was once flagged off via the Railway Minister of Bangladesh, Mohammad Nurul Islam Sujan, from the Chilahati station, which entered India passing in the course of the world border, thus heralding a brand new period for the folk residing in each the international locations.

The railway networks of India and Bangladesh are most commonly inherited from the British-era Indian Railways. After the partition in 1947, seven rail hyperlinks had been operational between India and the then East Pakistan (as much as 1965).

“Right now, there are 4 operational rail hyperlinks between India and Bangladesh. They’re Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India)-Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh).”

The Haldibari-Chilahati rail hyperlink being made practical from December 17 is the fifth rail hyperlink between India and Bangladesh.

“The Haldibari-Chilahati rail hyperlink was once operational until 1965. This was once a part of the large gauge primary path from Kolkata to Siliguri right through partition. Trains travelling to Assam and north Bengal persisted to shuttle in the course of the then East Pakistan territory even after partition. As an example, a teach from Sealdah to Siliguri used to go into East Pakistan territory from Darshana and go out the usage of the Haldibari-Chilahati hyperlink. Alternatively, the conflict of 1965 successfully bring to an end the entire railway hyperlinks between India and the then East Pakistan. So at the jap sector of India, partition of the railways thus took place in 1965. So the significance of the reopening of this rail hyperlink may also be smartly imagined,” a observation from the railway ministry mentioned.

In Might 2015, in pursuance of the joint declaration on the Inter-Governmental Railway Assembly (IGRM) held in Delhi, the Railway Board sanctioned the development of a brand new large gauge line from the Haldibari station to the Bangladesh border for reference to Chilahati with a period of three.five km in 2016-17 in an effort to reopen the erstwhile rail hyperlink.

Whilst the Indian Railways has restored the tracks as much as the world border from the Haldibari station at a price of Rs 82.72 crore, the Bangladesh Railways has additionally accordingly undertaken upgrading and laying of lacking tracks from the Chilahati station to the world border.

At the Bangladeshi facet, the prevailing Chilahati-Parbatipur-Santahar-Darshana line is already in large gauge.

“The Haldibari-Chilahati path will likely be really useful for transit into Bangladesh from Assam and West Bengal. This newly-opened rail hyperlink will toughen rail community accessibility to the principle ports, dry ports and land borders to make stronger the expansion in regional industry and inspire financial and social construction of the area. Not unusual folks and businessmen of each the international locations will be capable of take advantage of each items and passenger visitors as soon as passenger trains are deliberate on this path,” the ministry mentioned.