India, Bangladesh to reopen 55-year-old Haldibari-Chilahati rail line

India is set to re-open a railway line along with its neighbouring country Bangladesh after a gap of 55 years on Thursday, which will connect West Bengal in India to Chilahati across the border. 

The railway line from Haldibari (West Bengal) to Chilahati (Bangladesh) has been defunct since 1965, after rail-links between India and then-East-Pakistan had broken.

The re-launch of India-Bangladesh cross-border rail route will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on December 17, according to an official of the Northeast Frontier Railway.

The distance between Haldibari railway station till the international border is 4.5 kilometres while that from Chilahati in Bangladesh till the zero point is around 7.5 kilometres.

The resurrection of the route will help boost trade, as well as trans-border railway connectivity. Beside, 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.

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According to Lowly Institute - an independent Australian think tank on international policy - it has become imperative for India to guard the Chicken's Neck from China, given the face-off at the border areas of both countries in Eastern Ladakh that took place this year. 

A virtual summit is also to be held between Indian PM Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on December 17. "During the Summit, the two leaders will hold comprehensive discussions on the entire spectrum of the bilateral relationship, including further strengthening cooperation in the post COVID era," a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MeA) read.

Chicken's Neck gets its name from the stretch of land being only 22 kilometers wide. The narrow bridge is the only piece of land connecting India with its northeastern states, also known as the 'Seven Sisters.' For the small passage that it is, the Siliguri Corridor is surrounded by neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, and Nepal.

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