Every Thursday Binay Kumar Dutta, 55, a beauty products retailer in Karimpur town, takes the first bus at 2.40am to catch the Sealdah-bound first train from Krishnagar to Calcutta.

In the absence of a train service directly from Karimpur, Dutta has to undertake this 85km arduous bus journey to Krishnagar every week on his way to Burrabazar from where he fetches beauty items.

Sometimes Dutta takes a direct bus to Calcutta, notwithstanding the 200km journey through a potholed-riddled state highway and NH12.

Nevertheless, the people of Karimpur in particular and those of the Tehatta subdivision in general have become habituated to such journeys, resigning to the possibility that a railway link between Karimpur and Krishnagar could remain a dream.

Since 1905, a number of surveys have been conducted by the British and then the Indian government, but the much coveted rail link remains elusive. Repeated appeals by the local people, elected representatives and organisations have not yielded results. Railway officials believe such a project is “unviable”.

Before every election, the issue takes centrestage in the area. Political parties vow to fulfil the demand for a rail link, and the ongoing Assembly elections have not been an exception.

Krishnagar Trinamul MP Mohua Moitra, who had represented Karimpur as its MLA, said: “I tried my best... held meetings with successive railway ministers and the Rail Board chairman. But it appears that they are not interested at all because of the possibility of negative returns due to the absence of freight.”

“Emotionally I feel the need for the rail link, but am helpless. It appears, as I have always said, that unless and until Trinamul is an ally at the Centre and we push this with force irrespective of logic or economics, this rail link is not going to happen,” she said.

After the Daulatabad bus accident that claimed 45 lives on January 29, 2018, the people of Karimpur have tweaked their demand to a railway link between Krishnagar and Behrampore via Karimpur. To press for the demand, youths in Karimpur launched a campaign on social media asking every resident to send a petition to the railway ministry.

Durbadal Dutta, a petitioner who is a schoolteacher, said: “Over 18 lakh people who live in the Tehatta subdivision of Nadia and the Domkal subdivision of Murshidabad have to depend on buses. Karimpur is on the Nadia-Murshidabad border. A rail link between Behrampore and Krishnagar via Karimpur can save the people and the economy here.”

Thousands of people travel from Nadia to Murshidabad daily for medical needs.

Railway officials said the demand was not “feasible” due to the existence of a rail link between Krishnagar and Murshidabad.

“Since the scope of freight on such a stretch is very poor and it will be an exclusive passenger service, the economic feasibility of the project is negative. While we need to invest Rs 2,500 crore on the project, the returns will be zero,” an official said.

Local historian and former member of the Krishnagar station consultative committee, Sanjit Dutta, said: “The Tehatta subdivision is a major producer of jute, banana, betel, flower and horticulture products, which can earn good freight. A rail link can also explore industrial scope. But unfortunately, they are ignoring our demand.”