Borders blur in rerun of train services after five decades

HALDIBARI: Trains will again chug into Bangladesh's Chilahati from Cooch Behar's Haldibari. The Centre has granted a special fund to repair and restore a 12-km stretch between these two stations. The restoration work has already begun. After the India-Pakistan war in 1965, this line was closed.
It may be recalled that i
In 2011, both India and Bangladesh had inked a pact during Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's visit to India for inaugurating of new rail links with Bangladesh for cultural exchange and various activities between the two countries.
At present, there is an existing railway line up to Haldibari, which falls under the Kathihar division of the North Frontier Railways (NFR)There exists a railway line up to Haldibari that comes under the Katihar division of the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR).. Haldibari is the terminal station for trains like Haldibari-Kolkata Superfast Express and Teesta Torsha Express and Darjeeling Mail.
Prior to 1965, trains from Sealdah used to enter the erstwhile east Pakistan from Nadia and Gede and pass through Chilahati and Haldibari to reach Siliguri. The opening of the rail link between Haldibari and Chilahati would be a revival of the old rail link. According to reports available, the railway ministry had asked their Bangladeshi counterpart to provide a detailed plan so that the new rail link could be opened for the larger interest of people from both India and Bangladesh. After Bangladesh submitted the report, work for restoration of the line started.
While Indian Railways will build around 4.5 km new tracks from Haldibari station to the Bangladesh border, the Bangladesh railways will lay a 7.5-km line from the border to Chilahati.
"Once the line is operational, we expect trains to run on this line. We are accordinglyworking hard," a senior NFR official said. The railways are also trying to overhaul the infrastructure of Haldibari station, which is going to be the last Indian station before the trains enter Bangladesh.
"Work has started recently and we have been given a deadline to complete the work," said Partha Sarathi Seal, rail's senior area manager of New Jalpaiguri.