AGARTALA-AKHAURA
RAIL LINK – GEOGRAPHY
News: Explained | The Agartala-Akhaura
rail link
What's
in the news?
●
On November 1, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina virtually inaugurated the
rail link between Agartala (in Tripura, India) and Akhaura (in Bangladesh).
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It serves to re-establish connectivity between Bangladesh and India’s northeast
through Tripura.
Agartala-Akhaura
Cross-border Rail Link Project:
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It is a railway line between India and
Bangladesh.
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Connects Agartala in Tripura and Akhaura
in Bangladesh.
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Distance
- 12.24-kms rail link (5.46 km in India and 6.78 km in
Bangladesh).
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Akhaura used to be the railway link for
Agartala during the colonial era.
Cost:
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The final project cost is estimated at Rs
1255.10 crore, with Rs 862.58 crore allocated for works on the Indian side
alone.
○
The entire
project cost is being funded by India.
Priority
Region:
●
The Northeast has been earmarked as a
priority region in this policy.
Strategic
Importance:
●
The project is part of India’s “Act East Policy”, which aims to
promote economic cooperation and develop strategic ties with countries in the
Asia-Pacific region.
Line
Specifications:
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It will be a dual gauge station for both
passenger and goods interchange.
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The Indian Railways portion has a broad
gauge system while the portion in Akhaura has a metre gauge system.
Significance:
1.
Shortened Routes:
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The rail link will significantly reduce
the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka.
●
At present, the rail route from Agartala
to Kolkata is around 1600kilometers and takes 38 hours.
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Once the rail link opens, the travel time
will be reduced to roughly 10 hours.
2.
Trade Boost:
●
Expected to boost India-Bangladesh trade
in various goods such as agriculture products, tea, sugar, construction items,
iron and steel, and consumer goods.
3.
People-to-People Connections:
●
Will help foster closer relationships
between people from India and Bangladesh.