Guwahati, March 28 -- The cross-border railway links between India and Bangladesh have been playing a significant role in expanding trade, transit, tourism and people-to-people contacts between the two counties. There are 10 cross-border rail routes between the two South Asian neighbours. Among them, six routes have been operationalised. They include: Benapole-Petrapole, Gede-Darshana, Chilahati-Haldibari, Agartala-Akhaura, Rohanpur-Singhabad, and Birol-Radhikapur. The remaining four, namely, Shahbazpur-Mahishasan, Belonia-Feni, Changrabandha-Burimari and Mogalhat-Gitaldaha, will be made opereational in phases.

Currently, three passenger trains run between India and Bangladesh. The Maitree Express from Kolkata to Dhaka via the Gede-Darsh...