The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on Tuesday inaugurated the renovated Haldibari station in Cooch Behar district as part of a project to reconnect it with a station in neighbouring Bangladesh and augment rail links between the two countries.

R.K. Verma, the divisional manager of the Katihar division of the NFR, Jayanta Roy, the BJP MP of Jalpaiguri, and railway officials were at Haldibari for the inauguration.

Train connectivity will now be resumed between Haldibari and Chilahati in Nilphamari district of Bangladesh. Trains used to run on this route till the mid-sixties.

“We have spent around Rs 65 crore to develop the infrastructure at Haldibari station…. Three platforms and five rail tracks have been laid. The tracks have been extended till the fences at the border,” said Verma, the divisional manager.

“We will have to lay tracks on a 150ft stretch, that is from the fences to the Zero Point. We are communicating with officials of Bangladesh railways. The idea is to make the route operational by July this year,” Verma said.