Union Minister G Kishan Reddy reviews Agartala-Akhaura Railway Project in Tripura

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy reviewed the progress of the Agartala-Akhaura Railway Project at Agartala (Tripura) station on Tuesday.

The Union minister shared that after the completion of the project, the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka will be reduced from 31 hours to 10 hours.

Reddy further shared that the railway project will accelerate the movement of goods and passengers besides promoting trade and commerce

The union minister also visited the zero point of the Agartala-Akhaura railway line project and reviewed the progress of the Nischintapur railway yard. This project will connect Tripura with Akhaura in Bangladesh, and is likely to be inaugurated at the end of this year.

It is anticipated that the opening of this international railway project will significantly improve and expand connection between Bangladesh and India, as well as boost the economies of not only Tripura but also the other North Eastern States.

There will be an integrated checkpoint next to this railway centre, which will direct travellers to the Agartala-Akhaura Rail Link station station to avail the journey to Kolkata via Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The opening of this international yard will shorten the distance of Agartala to Kolkata by 11 hours.
The 15.6-km Agartala-Akhaura railway line is being constructed at an initial estimated cost of for Rs 980 crore.
The railway project is shared by two central Indian ministries. The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region has been funding the laying of 5.46 km of tracks on the Indian side; the Ministry of External Affairs is bearing the cost of laying 10.6 km on the Bangladesh side.

The project was initially delayed for three years due to land acquisition issues and alignment disputes with the railway line in Bangladesh.

Also Read: Tripura bags two national awards for good governance in rural areas