AGARTALA: The newly constructed railway track between Tripura’s Nischintapur and Bangladesh’s Gangasagar had a successful trail run on Thursday.
Spanning a distance of 6.7 km, this stretch is a critical segment of the broader 15-km railway link designed to connect Agartala, the capital of Tripura, with Gangasagar located in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
“The trial journey from Gangasagar to the zero point at Nischintapur spanned a mere 20 minutes, progressing smoothly at a speed of 30 km/hour. With the track now primed for operations, the government is expected to announce the inauguration of train services soon,” vice president of Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd, Sarat Sharma told the press. The infrastructure firm was awarded the contract for the project.
Given a nod in 2018, the project experienced delays, primarily due to unforeseen challenges posed by the Covid pandemic. Sharma expressed satisfaction, stating, “We are elated to have the tracks ready for service now.”
However, the much-anticipated train service might face a slight delay. Necessary modifications at the Nischintapur railway yard have been recommended by the immigration and customs departments.
Additionally, the 15-km rail link sees collaboration with IRCON, responsible for track construction on the Indian side. An official from IRCON told the press, “In order to kick-start the train service, certain immigration and customs facilities are pivotal. We are currently in the process of adjusting a few rooms at the railway yard, with completion expected in the coming days.”
The commitment to this project was highlighted earlier this year by Tripura’s Transport Minister, Sushanta Chowdhury, who had projected the completion of the rail link between Agartala and Gangasagar by September.
The project is seen as a significant step towards boosting regional connectivity and facilitating trade and travel between the two neighbouring nations.
