NEW DELHI: A trial run of the Nischintapur-Gangasagar railway line is scheduled to take place on either September 9 or 10. This railway project aims to connect Nischintapur in Tripura, India, with Bangladesh's Gangasagar railway station. Initially, the trial run will involve a goods train operating between Gangasagar and Nischintapur, with plans to extend the railway line to Agartala.

The Indo-Bangla railway project, which will link Agartala with Gangasagar, has an estimated cost of Rs 1,100 crore. Once completed and inaugurated, this railway line is expected to significantly enhance trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh. The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) is responsible for financing the construction of the 5.46-kilometer track on the Indian side, while the Ministry of External Affairs is funding the 10.6-kilometer section in Bangladesh.

IRCON International Ltd, formerly known as Indian Railway Construction Limited, has been entrusted with the construction of the railway line on both sides of the border. This project will not only connect the northeastern region of India to Bangladesh through the railway network but will also provide easier access to the Chittagong seaport in Bangladesh. The railway link will connect Gangasagar in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria district's Akhaura sub-division to Nischintapur in India, and from there, it will extend to Agartala station.

Nischintapur is home to the first transshipment yard in the northeast, serving as a point of disembarkation for passengers arriving from Bangladesh and unloading point for incoming cargo. The construction work on the Indian side is nearing completion, while on the Bangladesh side, construction has resumed after a substantial delay caused by the COVID-19 shutdown.

Gangasagar Overview: Gangasagar is a village and gram panchayat located in the Sagar police station jurisdiction in the Sagar CD block within the Kakdwip subdistrict of the South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, India. Gangasagar is renowned for the Gangasagar Mela, which takes place during Makar Sankrati in the middle of January and is considered India's second-largest pilgrimage gathering after the Kumbh Mela.

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