Indo-Bangla and Indo-Nepal Rail Projects MoU for Indo-Bangla Railway connectivity project viz. Agartala-Akhaura new Broad Gauge line (15.06 Km) was signed on 16.02.2013 between Government of India and Government of Bangladesh. About 5 Km length of the project falls in India & 10 Km falls in Bangladesh. Final Location Survey for both Indian as well as Bangladesh portions has been completed. Project is at standstill because of sharp increase in cost of land for the sections in India. In order to reduce the requirement of land, proposal for construction of 3.7 Km railway line on viaduct has been submitted to the State Government of Tripura. No time lines have been fixed for completion of the project and running train for passenger traffic as the project is in initial stages. Two projects for Indo-Nepal connectivi ty have been taken up. The status of these two projects is as detailed below:- (i) Jogbani-Biratnagar (Nepal)(18.60 Km) new line project:- 5.45 Km length falls in India & 13.60 km falls in Nepal. Land for the entire project, except for a length of about 1.8 Km falling in Nepal, has been acquired and earthwork, bridge works etc. taken up. (ii) Jaynagar-Bijalpura gauge conversion & its extension up to Bardibas (69 Km):- 3 Km length falls in India & 66 km falls in Nepal. Final location Survey has been completed. Land plans for Indian portion has been submitted to the State Government. In Nepal portion, land has been handed over in 47 km. in patches. Earthwork & bridgework have been taken up in the stretches where land is available. This information was given Minister of State in Ministry of Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in a reply to a question in Rajya Sabha Yesterday.
