SANGSAD BHABAN, Feb 18, 2019 (BSS) – The government has taken initiatives to
introduce two new interchange points of railway aiming to increase the railway connectivity with neighbouring India.
“Akhaura (Bangladesh)–Agartala (India) is a new interchange point. To introduce this point, it is needed to set up rail track from Gangasagar of Akhaura to the India border,” Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan said while responding to a starred question placed by lawmaker Fakhrul Imam of Mymensingh-8 in the parliament with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
To this end, he said, the government has already approved a project with an outlay of Taka 477.81 crore assistance of the Indian government. “Once the project is completed, it will be possible to introduce the new interchange point.”
Sujan said it is urgent to repair or construct rail line from Feni to Belonia to introduce the 33-km new interchange point. “Bangladesh Railway has already sent a proposal regarding the construction or repair of Feni-Belonia rail line to the Economic Relations Division,” he added.
About the restoration of the closed interchange points, the railway minister said the Shahbazpur (Bangladesh)-Mahishasan (India) interchange point was closed in 2002, which was a part of the Trans-Asian Railway Network.
He said the government approved the Kulaura-Shahbazpur Rehabilitation project of Bangladesh Railways in 2011 aiming to introduce intercontinental rail communication.
On September 10, 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the project through a videoconference.
Once the project is implemented, Sujan said, it would be possible to reopen the Shahbazpur-Mahishasan interchange point.