Radhikapur railway station

Radhikapur
Indian Railway Station
Location State Highway 10A, Radikapur, Distt: Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal
India
Coordinates 25°38′34″N 88°26′49″E / 25.642778°N 88.446944°E / 25.642778; 88.446944Coordinates: 25°38′34″N 88°26′49″E / 25.642778°N 88.446944°E / 25.642778; 88.446944
Elevation 37 metres (121 ft)
Owned by Indian Railways
Operated by Northeast Frontier Railway
Line(s) Barsoi-Radhikapur branch line
Platforms 2?
Construction
Structure type Standard on ground
Parking Available
Other information
Status active
Station code RDP
Division(s) Katihar
History
Opened 1879
Previous names Assam-Behar State Railway
Location
Radhikapur railway station
Location in West Bengal

Radhikapur (Bengali: রাধিকাপুর) is a railway station in Uttar Dinajpur district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a defunct rail transit system on the India-Bangladesh border and is an India-Bangladesh land border checkpoint.

History

Assam Behar State Railway extended the metre gauge railway from Parbatipur, now in Bangladesh, to Katihar in 1889.[1] In 1948-50, as a part of the Assam Rail Link project, the Fakiragram-Kishanganj sector was connected to the North Eastern Railway network at Barsoi.[2][3] The railway lines in the area started being converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge from the early 1960s.[3] The Barsoi-Radhikapur sector was converted to broad gauge in 2006.[4]

Radhikapur-Biral transit point

It is a defunct rail transit point on the India-Bangladesh border. The corresponding station on the Bangladesh side is Biral in Dinajpur District.[5][6] The transit facility in the Radhikapur-Birol sector has remained suspended since 1 April 2005. The railway track on the Indian side has been converted to broad gauge (as per Project Unigauge) while that on the Bangladesh side continues to remain metre gauge.[7]

As per the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Bangladesh and India on 15 August 1978 it was agreed to facilitate overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal. An addendum was made on 6 September 2011, to add new rail routes for facilitating overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and Nepal. The addendum read:
"1."Traffic in Transit" to/from Nepal and Bangladesh shall move through Indian territory by rail using Singhabad Railway station in India and Rohanpur Railway station in Bangladesh with their existing facilities. To ensure expeditious and smooth flow of such movement, necessary infrastructural facilities shall be provided by the two Parties within their respective territories.
"2.The existing rail route through Radhikapur Railway station in India and Birol Railway station in Bangladesh which has been suspended shall be brought into operation by converting Bangladesh portion into broad gauge. In this case, both the routes (proposed and the existing) shall be used for Nepal Transit Traffic by rail for additional operating convenience."[8]

Bangladesh started export of fertilizer to Nepal utilizing the Rahanpur-Singhabad transit point in November 2011.[9]

Radhikapur still has customs facilities.[10]

References

  1. "IR History:Early days II". 1870-1899. IRFCA. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
  2. "IR History: Part IV (1947-1970)". irfca. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  3. 1 2 Alastair Boobyer. "India: the complex history of the junctions at Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri". IRFCA. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  4. Srivastava, V.P. "Role of Engineering Deptt in Meeting Corporate Objectives of Indian Railways" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-02-21.
  5. "Collision kills woman on Vellore trip". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph , 23 August 2008. 2008-08-23. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  6. "Govt weighs rail links with Nepal, Bhutan". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph , 21 April 2008. 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
  7. "Rail Link with Bangladesh". Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 7 September 2007. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
  8. "Addendum to MOU between India and Bangladesh to facilitate overland transit traffic between Bangladesh and India, 6 September 2011". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  9. "Bangladesh export to Nepal thru India resumes tomorrow". Priyo Internet Life. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  10. "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.
Preceding station   Indian Railway   Following station
Dalimgaon
Northeast Frontier Railway zoneTerminus
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