A decision by the central government to revive some of the old rail routes which used to connect India with Bangladesh has prompted residents of Cooch Behar to demand the restoration of the Gitaldaha-Mogolhat link.

As a part of the Centre’s decision, the railways are in the process of resuming the rail route from Haldibari (also in Cooch Behar district) with Chilahati in Bangladesh. Gitaldaha is in Cooch Behar and Mogolhat in Bangladesh.

Sources said back in 1984, the Cooch Behar State Railway, run by the Cooch Behar Royals, had established a narrow gauge railway line from Cooch Behar to Gitaldaha, with a bridge over the Torsha River.

“In 1910, the track was changed into metre gauge. Also, the track to Mogolhat (in present Bangladesh) was developed and people could travel till Parabatipur in Bangladesh through this route. From Parbatipur, passengers would take the train to Sealdah. Along this route, the distance between Cooch Behar and Calcutta was 326 miles then,” said Arup Jyoti Majumdar, secretary, Cooch Behar Heritage Society.

According to senior residents and researchers, the track was open till 1971.

“But till 1982, goods trains would occasionally move to Bangladesh through Gitaldaha-Mogolhat route, crossing the bridge over Mansai river. It would largely help the residents of Cooch Behar and lower Assam if this route is revived and trains to Calcutta are run through this route,” said Aminur Rehman, a schoolteacher and researcher based in Gitaldaha.

Though train services remained suspended, the rail bridge was there intact even 20 years back. In 1998, during a flood, girders on the approaches of the bridge were washed away on both sides. Even today, the remaining girders of the bridge stand on Mansai, bearing testimony of the old train service between Gitaldaha and Mogolhat.

The issue has also been raised by Partha Pratim Roy, the Trinamul Cooch Behar MP, in the Parliament.

“It would hardly take eight hours to reach Calcutta. This made us raise the issue in the Lok Sabha. It is only recently that the Union external affairs minister has replied to me, mentioning that they have the proposal under consideration. She has also mentioned that the Centre is keen in improving train connectivity between the countries,” said Roy.

In reply to the MP’s questions, Sushma Swaraj, the Union external affairs minister, has mentioned that the bridge on the Mansai river needs to be constructed on the Indian side. In Bangladesh, the meter gauge track along the Mogolhat-Lalmonirhat-Kawnia stretch needs to be upgraded to a dual gauge track.

“The Centre has made is clear that it is committed in re-establishing these routes to Bangaldesh. We would approach the central ministers with the demand and would request them to speak about the project with the Bangladesh government,” said Roy.