Kushtia Correspondent : Severe traffic congestion has become a daily nightmare for residents of Kushtia town, as six railway crossings lie within just five kilometers of railway track running through the heart of the city. Every day, eight trains operate along the Kushtia–Goalanda Ghat and Kushtia–Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Khulna routes, causing the gates to close several times and trapping vehicles for long periods. Despite repeated public demands to relocate the railway line outside the city, the authorities have yet to take any visible action.

Historical records show that the railway line was established on November 15, 1862, when a 53.11-kilometer stretch was inaugurated from Ranaghat in Kolkata to Jagati in Kushtia—the site of the country’s first railway station. Later, on January 1, 1871, a 75-kilometer extension connected Kushtia to Goalanda, creating the current route that still cuts through the middle of the city. Today, crossings at Majampur Gate, Court Station, Boro Station, Babur Ali Gate, Moti Mia Gate, and Milpara are closed for up to 10 minutes every time a train passes, causing long queues that stretch across the Kushtia–Ishwardi and Kushtia–Jhenaidah highways.

The situation disrupts ambulances, students, traders, and daily commuters, while accidents frequently occur as vehicles rush to cross before the barriers close. Although a plan to relocate the railway line was promised in 2012 by the then Minister of Railways, the project has made no progress since an initial survey was conducted. Local residents, including former municipal councillor Khan A. Karim and BNP leader Engineer Zakir Hossain Sarkar, have reiterated that the relocation is essential to free Kushtia from gridlock.

Railway official Md. Sohag Rana said that the relocation might be included in the railway’s fourth-phase master plan (2030–2035), but no official decision has been made yet. Meanwhile, residents continue to endure long hours of gridlock every day, hoping for a solution that still seems far away.