India and Bangladesh reopened the 55 years old Chilahati-Haldibari rail link between the two nations. The inauguration took place during a virtual bilateral summit between PM Modi and PM Sheikh Hasina on December 17, 2020. The link was cut off during the India and Pakistan war in 1965 but it will be reopened again to enhance connectivity and transport between India and Bangladesh.
The reopening is also the result of the commitment from both sides to reviving and operationalizing the pre-1965 six-railway links between the two nations. The distance between West Bengal’s Haldibari station till the international border is 4.5kms. While from Chilahati in Bangladesh till the zero point is approx. 7.5 kms.
India-Bangladesh Virtual Summit: PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurate the Chilahati-Haldibari rail link between India & Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/sBtIPsdD7N
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2020
Significance:
• The inauguration of the railway link will help in enhancing connectivity to West Bengal and Assam from Bangladesh.
• It will enhance the railway network accessibility and will also give a boost to the economic development and bilateral trade in the region.
• Currently, the railway link will be facilitating the movement of goods cargo and the passenger movement will start as soon as the required infrastructure on both sides is in place.
• The 75 kms track will help in connecting the country with the Siliguri corridor which is also known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’. It connects India with the North-Eastern states.
Five out of six rail links become operational:
With the inauguration of Chilahati-Haldibari railway link, five out of six railway links will become operational between India and Bangladesh. The other four are:
• Petrapole-Benapole
• Gede-Darshana
• Radhikapur-Birol
• Singhabad-Rohanpur
Improving railway connectivity between India and Bangladesh:
To make the railway connectivity between the two nations more efficient, India in July 2020, in a virtual ceremony had handed over 10 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh.
India and Bangladesh have also been stepping up their rail cooperation to mitigate the impact of the ongoing pandemic. Railways as an environment-friendly and cost-effective solution have helped in transporting the essential commodities across the border.
Background:
The Chilahati-Haldibari railway link was cut off during the India-Pakistan war in 1965 to disrupt the connectivity. The wail link was a significant part of the broad gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri but the way of 1965 cut off all the railway links between the two nations.
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