Aluabari Road Siliguri via Galgalia 76 km

closed

Economic/Social Impact of the Project With the partition of the Indian Sub continent the communication to Assam with the rest of India was snapped. Rail link with Assam was re-established in 1950 by Assam Rail Link project. This line of communication involved transshipment of passengers and wagons across the river Ganga by ferries at Maniharighat in addition to the existing ferry at Barari and Pahlazaghat. However, due to inadequacy of this transshipments and ferry services, bulk of goods traffic were being moved through the erstwhile East Pakistan now Bangladesh. Subsequently, the importance was shifted towards improving the ferry system on the river Ganga that was posing transport bottleneck. A broad gauge line was laid from Khejuriaghat to New Jalpaiguri and then extended to New Bongaigaon by 1965. In April 1984 Broad Gauge line from New Bongaigaon to New Guwahati was opened for traffic. The ferry services at Khejuriaghat were abandoned with the commissioning of the Railway Bridge over the river Ganga at Farakka. With the opening of Farakka Barrage a direct broad gauge line to North Bengal and Assam with the rest of the country was established to ensure uninterrupted flow of traffic by Railway and Road system. The existing MG line connects the Siliguri Junction with Aluabari Road through various stations near Nepal border crossing the 76.00 km stretch. The conversion of above MG line to BG line provided the necessary route for the stream of traffic likely to flow in the section. It would also provided additional capacity for traffic between Aluabari Road to Siliguri Jn.