AGARTALA, July 6 (TIWN): Long awaited India-Bangladesh railway link is all set to offer a unique experience of elevated railway corridor where the people of the land-locked state would get metro rail like taste for the first of its kind.The 3.7 km overhead railway track will connect Agartala with its neighbour Bangladesh. The rail link is expected to be commissioned by 2017 covering a total stretch of 15 km including 10 km across the international border at the cost of India.Agartala is considered to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is going to be the corridor of Southeast Asia via Bangladesh. Besides, railway link, Agartala will soon connect to global telecom network at Cox's Bazar submarine cable and India is constructing 2.5 km long bridge over River Feni to connect Chittagong Sea Port with southern most city of Tripura Sabroom.The elevated corridor for the first of its kind in the history of Tripura would also reduce Indo-Bangladesh railway project costs from Rs 302 crore to only 98 crore, said Tripura Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmik adding that this has made the project more easier. “We had sought to release at least 60 percent of the total fund so that the state government here can kick off the preliminary work by acquiring land,” he said. Tripura is a land-locked state where the people are at disadvantageous position compared to people in other states when it comes to connectivity with mainland India.

The Left front government of Tripura had earlier mulled for the metro rail services in the city and its periphery keeping in view of the growing traffic congestion. However, the project is lost somewhere with the assumption of Modi led NDA government came in power and the state's Urban development secretary Ashotosh Jindal left the state.

After the Modi government’s NITI Aayog had given a final nod to the rail line connecting Agartala with Bangaldesh via Akhaura. According to the master plan being adopted by the Ministry of Railways out of 5 Km of the rail line from Agartala to Akhaura the 3.7 km elevated corridor would be from Agartala railway station to Charipara and thereafter a 1.3 km rail yard which will connect Gangasagar rail station in Bangladesh.

The much awaited project work would be entirely funded by the Ministry of Railways, Govt. of India as the Ministry of Development of North eastern Region (DoNER) refused to floor the fund, said Bhowmik.

India will fund for 15 km rail line, including 10 km on the Bangladesh side, to access to Ashuganj sea port of Bangladesh. Once the Indo-Bangla railway extension plan is implemented the entire northeast would be able to get access to sea.

The experts expressing pleasure over the proposed surface elevated corridor, the metro like rail line here in Tripura for the first ever had pointed out that pointed out that vehicle growth and subsequent reduction of mobility has became a major cause of concern for the city administration now, which needs an effective dealing at policy level.

The process of laying 15 Km long railway track to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh will be completed by 2017. This has come up after the team comprising technical experts of IRCON, representatives of state government and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Chief Engineer of NF Railway Harpal Singh had visited the sites of laying the tracks this month.

New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link as it would connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh.

The 15-km-long Agartala-Akhaura railway route would connect Indian Railways with the Bangladesh Railways through the North-East which would improve connectivity and boost trade between the two countries.