Train services between Siliguri and Dhaka to begin soon: Shringla

‘The Centre is trying to operationalise the railway services between the two cities and the announcement on the same would be made soon,’ foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said

Train services between north Bengal’s Siliguri, the second-largest city in the eastern state, and Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka will start soon, foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Sunday.

Foreign secretary Harsh VardhanShringla, who was in Darjeeling to attend a charity event, made the announcement while interacting with the media. (Archive)

Shringla, who was in Darjeeling to attend a charity event, made the announcement while interacting with the media.

“The Centre is trying to operationalise the railway services between the two cities and the announcement on the same would be made soon,” he said.

“The plan is to start the service at the earliest and it will take advantage of the opening of Haldibari-Chilahati train services. It is important for linking Bangladesh to north Bengal. It will provide a lot of opportunities in transportation of goods. The services will start with freight trains and, over a period of time, passenger train services will start between Siliguri and Dhaka,” Shringla added.

Freight train services between Haldibari in the Alipurduar railway division and Chilahati in Bangladesh resumed on August 1, after 56 years.

“The two countries have passenger train services between Kolkata and Dhaka and between Kolkata and Khulna. Passenger trains between Dhaka and Siliguri will bring in tourists and people coming for medical reasons. This is good for the region,” Shringla said.

The foreign secretary also reiterated that India has a clear laid policy in regards to China.

“The Tibetan Autonomous Region is a part of that country and there is no change in our policy,” he said.