The Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link project which will connect Bangladesh’s Akhaura to Indian Tripura State’s Agartala is likely to be completed by 2020.
Indian Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh took to Twitter on Thursday to make the announcement.
Following a meeting with the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly on the same day, Jitendra Singh said: “This is a huge success for the north eastern region. The train from Bangladesh to Agartala will run from 2020.
Big breakthrough for #Northeast . Train to #Bangladesh from #Agartala in #Tripura will start by 2020. Proximal part of rail track being funded by Ministry of Northeast @MDoNER_India . Progress of work reviewed along with Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/9wb5yxiedR
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) 12 September 2019
"The Indian side of the rail track will be funded by our Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. Several ongoing projects were discussed with Riva Ganguly.”
The Indian minister said that the Akhaura-Agartala railway will boost communication, tourism and trade between Bangladesh and India which is imperative for cultural exchange between the two countries.
On Sept 10, 2018 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi inaugurated the rail project via video conference.
The estimated cost of the 15km rail line is Tk477 crore amongst which the Bangladesh government will provide Tk57 crore.
Earlier in 2016, the then Bangladesh railway minister Mujibul Hoque and his Indian counterpart Sureh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated the completion of the railway line from the Agartala end.