RAJYA SABHA
There
are already rail links between India and Bangladesh through the following five
routes: 1.
Gede (India)-Darsana (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge 2.
Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge 3.
Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge 4.
Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge on Indian
side and Metre Gauge on Bangladesh side. 5.
Mahisasan (India)-Shahbazpur (Bangladesh) - Metre Gauge. Presently
only goods train services are running between India and Bangladesh through Gede-Darsana,
Singhabad-Rohanpur and Petrapole-Benapole BG routes. Operation of Radhikapur-Birol
route has remained suspended since 01.04.2005 due to Broadgauging on Indian side
while the track on Birol-Parbatipur section in Bangladesh Railway is still in
Metre Gauge. The Mahisasan-Shahbazpur MG route has not been operational since
December, 1996 due to lack of traffic. Also,
an agreement for running Passenger Train Service between Sealdah and Jamuna Bridge
was signed in 2001 and during the visit of Minister of External Affairs to Dhaka
on February 19, 2007, Bangladesh agreed for early operationalisation of Sealdah
(Kolkata)-Joydevpur (Dhaka) passenger train service. This was reiterated by both
sides in the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting held in Dhaka in March 2007. On
8th July, 2007, the Indian Team comprising officers from the concerned Ministries/Departments
conducted a trial run of the passenger train. In the Inter-Governmental
Meeting held on July 9-10, 2007 in Dhaka, both sides expressed their willingness
to commence the commercial operation of the passenger train as early as possible
subject to other relevant related concerns being addressed to mutual satisfaction.
Bangladesh side also conducted their trial run service on July 29, 2007. However,
regular traffic is yet to commence. This information was given by the Minister of State for
Railways Shri R.Velu in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today. AKS/HK/CK/TR
|
Rail Link with Bangladesh
