In a historic development, Bangladesh and India have inaugurated a new rail link connecting Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala in India’s northeastern state of Tripura. This cross-border rail link, after a hiatus of over seven decades, promises to be a game-changer, significantly cutting down travel time and fostering increased trade between the two nations.
Until now, traveling from Kolkata to Agartala required a lengthy and circuitous journey, routing passengers through northern West Bengal, Assam’s capital city Guwahati, and finally heading southward towards Tripura. With this new rail link in place, trains can now traverse directly from Kolkata to Agartala via Bangladesh, taking advantage of Bangladesh’s strategic geographical location between India’s northeast and the rest of the country. Previously, the only connecting passage was a narrow corridor in Siliguri, West Bengal, aptly referred to as the “Chicken’s Neck.”
