AGARTALA, Oct 6 (TIWN): A railway link between Tripura capital Agartala and Bangladesh's southeastern city of Akhaurah would soon come into a reality, as the process of laying track would start soon after soil testing.NFR GM R.K.Gupta in a meeting with the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar at the civil secretariat on Sunday said that, the soil testing is essential before progressing with the work of Agartala –Bangladesh rail link at Nischintpur BOP border area.In a three day visit to the state, the NFR General Manager (Construction) R.K.Gupta in a visit to the state inspected the work progress of Agartala-Bangladesh rail link at Nishchintpur BOP Indo-Bangla border area. Commenting on the progress of the Indo-Bangla rail link work he said that soil treatment is required before laying the track as the soil of the area is very soft for the aligned project.Indian and Bangladeshi governments have decided to start a new rail link to ease surface transport. India will build a 15-km railway tracks linking Tripura’s capital Agartala with Bangladesh’s southeastern city of Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka. India has been keen to establish the Agartala-Akhaura rail link as it would facilitate easier connectivity between West Bengal and northeastern states through Bangladesh. It has offered to construct the railway link.

An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between India’s former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in January 2010. Total cost of the proposed project is estimated at Rs.252 crore. The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) would lay the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the 15 km rail line, five km of tracks fall in the Indian Territory.

Surface connectivity is an important factor as the landlocked northeastern states are surrounded by Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and China and the only land route to these states from within India is through Assam and West Bengal. But this route passes through over 70 percent hilly terrain with steep roads and multiple hairpin bends.

For ferrying goods and heavy machinery to the northeast from abroad and other parts of the country, India has for long been seeking land, sea and rail access through Bangladesh.

Agartala, for instance, is 1,650 km from Kolkata and 2,637 km from New Delhi via Guwahati and West Bengal, whereas the distance between the Tripura capital and Kolkata through Bangladesh is just about 350 km.