AGARTALA, Aug 13 (TIWN): Although the entire nation is looking up to the inauguration of Agartala-Kolkata train service by the end of this month but Transport Minister Manik Dey said that so far no information is received regarding the commencement of the train service from Tripura. Talking to TIWN correspondent Transport Minister Manik Dey said that it fully depends upon the Railway Division of India when the express train for Agartala-Kolkata will be started. “Nothing can be said now, as we are not yet confirmed anything about it”, said Minister Manik Dey. He further said that the state government does not have any role to play in this and it is entirely central railway ministry’s project now it’s upto them how and when it will be started. It is to be mentioned here that for Tripura direct connectivity with Kolkata is most essential as many people travels regularly between Agartala and New Delhi. However, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that preference will be laid to start an express train service between Agartala and Kolkata. However, prabhu couldn’t clearly say anything the date for the commencement of the train between Agartala and Kolkata but it will be done soon. It took more than four decades to connect the capital city after northern Tripura's business hub Dharmanagar came on the railway map in 1964. This railway connectivity is the lifeline for millions in Tripura, western Manipur and Mizoram besides southern Assam. With the launch of the passenger train, the mountainous border state of Tripura has now been connected with the national capital via Guwahati, Assam's main city which is about 600 km from Agartala.

The extension of then existing metre guage track up to northeastern state capital of Agartala brought the city on India's rail map for the first time in October 2008 since the advent of the railways in this subcontinent in 1853.

It is to me mentioned here that once the Agartala-  Kolkata express train service  begins in the state the people will get relief from the soaring flight fare and the pressure on NH8(44) will also come down.

In the first phase, the 210-km Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project was completed last year. In the second phase, the 227-km Badarpur-Agartala gauge conversion was scheduled to be completed in March but was completed three months earlier.

With the completion of gauge conversion work right up to Agartala, the Tripura capital was connected with the country’s broad gauge railway network through Guwahati at a distance of about 600 km.