Rail operations between Haldibari in West Bengal, India and Chilahati in Bangladesh finally resumed in Coochbehar, after a gap of 55 long years. The route had remained defunct since 1965, after the break of rail links between India and then East-Pakistan. The services finally resumed on December 17, 2020. Initially, freight trains will run on the route. Later, passengers trains will also start operating. A railway official has told ANI that the route will help businesses in the area to flourish. Meanwhile, here’s how to travel from Kolkata to Bangladesh via cruise.
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Rail Service Between Haldibari, WB And Chilahati, Bangladesh Finally Begins
December 17, 2020 had been a historic day in West Bengal and Bangladesh. After a gap of 55 years, railway services between West Bengal’s Haldibari and Bangladesh’s Chilahati, that had remained defunct since 1965, finally resumed. ANI has tweeted, “Rail services between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh resumed today after a gap of 55 years in Coochbehar.” A railway official has said, “Freight trains are running initially, later passenger trains will run. Businesses in the area will flourish.” Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the cross-border rail route. Meanwhile, West Bengal’s iconic Poush Mela got cancelled this year due to COVID-19.
West Bengal: Rail services between Haldibari in West Bengal and Chilahati in Bangladesh resumed today after a gap of 55 years in Coochbehar.
"Freight trains are running initially, later passenger trains will run. Businesses in the area will flourish," says a railway official pic.twitter.com/oz3xZHQjHG
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2020
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Passenger Trains Might Begin On The Route By March 2021
The India-Bangladesh border is around 4.5 kilometres from the Haldibari railway station. Distance from Chilahati to the Zero Point is nearly 7.5 kilometres. The railway track is around 75 kilometres long. A goods train with 33 bogeys flagged off from Bangladesh on December 17 to mark the reopening of the route. The train reached Haldibari at around 2 PM. According to a TOI report, a Haldibari resident Sajal Chakraborty has said, “It’s like a dream come true. We are now looking forward to passenger trains on this route. We have heard stories of how Darjeeling Mail, pulled by a steam engine, used to run from Sealdah to Siliguri along this route.” Reportedly, passenger trains might start running along the route, between Dhaka and Siliguri, by March 2021. Meanwhile, here are seven Indian trains to experience luxury on wheels: