Agartala, Aug 25 (TIWN) Works on a 12.23 km India-Bangladesh new railway line are moving at a snail's place in both the countries, around a decade after Rs 972 crore project was finalised.

The new target of end of the much expected project has been re-fixed in September next year.  The Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway line would facilitate ferrying of goods to and from both the countries and greatly benefit India's land-locked northeastern states. Also, the journey time between Agartala and Kolkata, via Bangladesh, would be reduced by a third, from 1,613-km through mountainous terrain to a mere 514 km. 

The government-owned IRCON International Limited (IRCON), under the Ministry of Railways, has been executing the project, for which the DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Ministry and India's Ministry External Affairs (MEA) would bear the entire cost (Rs 972 crore) of the project on either side.   "Work for the Agartala-Akhaura railway project was on. After the ongoing monsoon, the works would be stepped-up. The fresh target of completion of the project has been re-schedules in September 2020," a top IRCON official said.