Changrabandha railway station

Changrabandha
Indian Railway Station
Location Vill: Changrabandha, PS: Mekhliganj, Distt: Cooch Behar, West Bengal
India
Coordinates 26°24′47″N 88°55′09″E / 26.4131°N 88.9193°E / 26.4131; 88.9193Coordinates: 26°24′47″N 88°55′09″E / 26.4131°N 88.9193°E / 26.4131; 88.9193
Owned by Indian Railways
Operated by Northeast Frontier Railway
Line(s) New Mal Jn - Changrabandha Line
Platforms 1
Tracks New Mal Jn - Changrabandha Line
Other information
Status Line converted to broad gauge
Station code CBD
Zone(s) Northeast Frontier Railway
Division(s) Alipurduar
History
Electrified no
Previous names Bengal Dooars Railway
Location
Changrabandha
Location in West Bengal

Changrabandha (Bengali: চাঙ্গড়াবান্ধা ) is a land border crossing point and a defunct rail transit point on the India-Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar district in the Indian state of West Bengal. The corresponding point on the Bangladesh side is Burimari in Lalmonirhat District.[1][2]

The headquarters of Mekhliganj community development block is located at Changrabandha.[3]

History

The Lalmonirhat-Malbazar metre gauge line was developed by the Bengal Dooars Railway in the closing years of the nineteenth century.[4] With the partition of India in 1947, the Indian side of the line terminated at Changrabandha and the Pakistani side, later Bangladeshi side, at Burimari.[5]

Present status

The line between New Mal Jn. and Changrabandha is now (2016) converted to Broad Gauge. The introduction of the train services were delayed as a result of delay in environmental clearance. However a pair of DMUs have been introduced on this route from Siliguri to Changrabandha via New Mal Jn from 20 January 2016.[6]

The Bangladeshi side of the line is still functional but the track is in bad shape with frequent derailments. There are two local trains in a day running at a limited speed of 8–14 km per hour (as against 45 km per hour in normal sections).[7][8] Bangladesh Railway has planned for rehabilitation of the line.[9]

Direct buses are available between Siliguri and Changrabandha, and between Dhaka and Burimari.[10]

References

  1. "Introducing Burimari". lonely planet. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  2. "Notification No. 63/94-Cus. (N.T.) dtd 21/11/1994 with amendments - Land Customs Stations and Routes for import and export of goods by land or inland water ways". Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  3. "Contact details of Block Development Officers". Cooch Behar district. West Bengal Government. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
  4. "Bengal Dooars Railway". Fibis. Retrieved 2011-11-20.
  5. "Geography - International". IRFCA. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  6. "Train running on the newly converted New Mal Junction-Changrabandha to start". North East Frontier Railway. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  7. "Lalmonirhat-burimari Route -45 trains derail in 5 months - Lack of sleepers, stone makes the run-down track risky". The Daily Star, 7 February 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  8. "For better railway between Lalmonirhat and Burimari". The Financial Express, 10 August 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  9. "Tk 14,531 crore BR projects to double capacity". Priyo Internet Life. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  10. "North East India". p 299. lonely planet / Google Books. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
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