ARARIA/KISHANGANJ, June 18 -- The 110.75-km-long Araria-Galgalia broad gauge (BG) rail line - an ambitious project connecting Bihar's Seemanchal region with West Bengal and the Northeast - is finally set to be completed nearly two decades after its inception. A successful high-speed trial run was conducted on Monday in the presence of Arun Kumar Choudhary, General Manager (Construction), Northeast Frontier Railway, paving the way for the commencement of passenger services on the Indo-Nepal border route from Araria to Galgalia. Choudhary expressed optimism that the project would act as a harbinger of prosperity for the region spanning parts of Bihar and West Bengal. He noted that it would also serve as an alternative railway corridor to the Northeast. "The trial run was satisfactory. We are hopeful that the rail service will become operational soon," he said. He also carried out a detailed inspection of track safety, station infrastructure, and passenger amenities along the route. Local BJP MP Pradeep Kumar Singh, who has long championed the project, said, "The rail line will become operational before the Assembly elections and will be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister." He added that the project would play a key role in combating poverty and backwardness in the region. The 110-km-long rail line includes 15 stations and one halt, passing through hundreds of villages. The stations are Galgalia, Thakurganj, Bhograwar, Kadogaon, Powakhali, Tulsia, Bibiganj, Terhagachh, Kaliaganj, Kursakanta, Bansbari, Rahmatpur, Araria Court, Araria, and one unnamed halt station. Completed at a cost of Rs.2,132 crore, the project required the acquisition of 1,632 acres of land. It is expected to significantly improve connectivity for thousands of residents in flood-prone villages, granting easier access to district headquarters and West Bengal. Initially sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs.540 crore in 2004-05, the foundation stone was laid in 2006 by then Kishanganj MP Mohammad Taslimuddin in the presence of the then Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad at Thakurganj. However, the project remained stalled for years. It wasn't until 2014, during the first term of the Narendra Modi government, that the project gained momentum following the release of funds for land acquisition. For residents of the region, the sight of a train speeding along the newly laid tracks was nothing short of a dream come true. "We had almost lost hope. But when we saw the train during the trial run on Monday, we knew it would soon become a reality," said elated villagers, who had gathered with flowers to welcome the train....