Haldibari- Chilahati Rail Link

Context: After a span of more than 50 years, Indian and Bangladesh started regular freight train operations through the restored Haldibari-Chilahati rail route recently.
Background

• After the Partition in the year 1947, as many as seven railway links were functional between India and Bangladesh (formerly known as East Pakistan) until the year 1965. 
• However, the war of 1965 effectively cut off all the railway links between India and then East Pakistan.

At present, there are four railway links between India and Bangladesh that are operational. These functional rail links are Petrapole – Benapole, Gede – Darshana, Singhabad – Rohanpur, Radhikapur – Birol.

Haldibari- Chilahati Rail Link

• It is a rail link between India and then East Pakistan was operational till 1965.
• The distance between Haldibari Railway Station till the international border is 4.5 km, while that of Chilahati is around 7.5 km till the ‘zero points’.
• This was part of the Broad-Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during the partition.
• Trains traveling to Assam and North Bengal continued to travel through the then East Pakistan territory even after partition.
• However, the war of 1965 effectively cut off all the railway links between India and then East Pakistan.
• The link was reopened in 2020 for the movement of passenger and goods traffic.

Significance

• The Haldibari-Chilahati route is expected to enhance the connectivity to Assam and West Bengal from Bangladesh.
• It will enhance rail network access to the main ports and dry ports to support the growth in regional trade to encourage economic and social development of the region.
• Common people and businessmen of both countries will be able to reap the benefit of both goods and passenger traffic, once passenger trains are planned in this route.
• Economic activities (including tourist activities) of these South Asian countries will also be benefitted from this new rail link.
• The 75-kilometre long track will also help better integrate the rest of the country with the Siliguri corridor, also known as the 'Chicken's Neck.'
• The corridor connects India with the North-eastern states, which has witnessed growing aggressiveness from another neighbouring country of China in recent times.