New rail lines for Northeast via Bangladesh to bypass 'Chicken's Neck'
Times of India | 16 June 2024
JALPAIGURI: India is set to develop an alternative network of railway tracks through Bangladesh to connect the Northeast with the rest of the country, reducing reliance on the existing route through the Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as "Chicken's Neck" - a 22-km-wide strip hemmed in by Nepal to the north and Bangladesh on its south.
The aim is to bypass the Chicken's Neck by routing through Bangladesh, leveraging the India-Bangladesh Trade Agreement of 1980.The vital railway line for military and civilian transport became a cause of concern during the 2017 Doklam standoff between India and China, as the narrow corridor sits below the conflict zone.
The project will feature 14 new routes connecting Bangladesh, spanning 861km, and alternative routes to the Northeast, bringing the total length of sanctioned tracks to 1,275.5km. The initiative will involve gauge conversion of existing tracks and construction of new ones in Bangladesh.
"Besides reducing travel time from Kolkata to the Northeast, the new railway network will also enhance communication with Bangladesh. It will boost trade and tourism activities between the neighbouring countries," said Sabyasachi De, CPRO of Northeast Frontier Railway.