Lok Sabha Question No. 4571 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Rail Connectivity in Tripura
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Kriti Devi Debbarman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4571 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

## RAIL CONNECTIVITY IN TRIPURA

4571.    SMT. KRITI DEVI DEBBARMAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  steps  being  taken  to  ensure  more  resilient  and uninterrupted rail connectivity in Tripura in light of frequent disruption due to floods and landslides; and
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  still actively pursuing the alternate arrangement  to improve rail connectivity between  Agartala and Kolkata  through  Bangladesh,  particularly  the  Agartala-Akhaura  Rail Line project and if so, the details thereof?;

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  and  (b):  Railway  projects  are  sanctioned  Zonal  Railway  wise  and  not Region-wise or State-wise, as Indian Railways' projects may span across State boundaries.

Tripura  is  already  connected  to  Rail  network  of  Indian  Railways.  To improve rail connectivity to Tripura following projects falling fully/partly in the State of Tripura were taken up and completed:-

|   S.No. | Name of the Project                                      |   Cost (₹ in crore) |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
|       1 | Agartala - Sabroom New Line (112 Km)                     |                3170 |
|       2 | Lumding - Badarpur - Kumarghat Gauge Conversion (244 Km) |                6500 |

To provide additional railway infrastructure  in the  State  of  Tripura,  Final Location  Survey  (FLS)  for  Chandranathpur  -  Agartala  doubling  (244  Km) has also been sanctioned for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) and survey has been taken up.

After firming up of DPR, sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals  viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog,  Ministry of Finance  etc.  As sanctioning  of  projects  is  a  continuous  and  dynamic  process,  exact timelines cannot be fixed.

Kolkata  and  Agartala  is  already  connected  through  existing  railway network via New Farakka, New Jalpaiguri, Guwahati and Lumding.

To  provide  additional  connectivity  between  India  and  Bangladesh  and encourage trade between the two nations, Agartala-Akhaura (12 km) new line  project  has  been  sanctioned.  The  anticipated  cost  of  the  project (Indian  side)  is  ₹973  crore.  The  alignment  for  Indian  side  of  the  project runs from Agartala Railway Station to Nischintpur Yard (5.46 km), which has  been  commissioned.  Further  connectivity  to  Tripura  via  Bangladesh can improve after upgradation of track in Bangladesh.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors like quick land acquisition  by  State  Government,  forest  clearance  by  officials  of  forest department,  shifting of infringing utilities, statutory clearances from various  authorities,  geological  and  topographical  conditions  of  area,  law and order situation in the area of project/s site, number of working months in  a  year  for  particular  project  site  etc.  All  these  factors  affect  the completion time and cost of the project/s.

*****