Siliguri, 17th December: After 55 years, the Chilahati-Haldibari track has been re-launched. The Chilahati-Haldibari railway line was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.
The Haldibari-Chilahati route is expected to enhance the connectivity to Assam and West Bengal from Bangladesh. It will not only enhance rail network accessibility and but will also support the growth in bilateral trade and economic development of the region.
It is to be noted that earlier, railways were one of the means of communication between Chilahati and Haldibari. However, it stopped services in the year 1965 during the Indo-Pakistani war. As a result, the trade and commerce of Nilphamari and the adjoining districts of Bangladesh came to a standstill. For a long time, there was a demand to resume this railway service. It has been learned that an engine of Bangladesh reached Haldibari along with 32 empty wagons. Following this, the engine will return to Chilahati.
It has been decided that freight trains will run on this route as of now. However, from March 2021, passenger trains from Dhaka to Siliguri may start plying on this route.