Six of the 11 stations on the Chilahati-Parvatipur railway line in Nilphamari have remained closed for nearly 20 years due to manpower shortages, forcing passengers to travel long distances to reach operational stations. The neglect has also left railway infrastructure damaged, with several abandoned stations becoming hotspots for criminal activity.
The 11 stations on the line are Chilahati, Mirzaganj, Domar, Tarunibari, Nilphamari, Nilphamari College, Darwani, Khayrat Nagar, Syedpur, Belachondi and Parbatipur. Of these, Mirzaganj, Tarunibari, Nilphamari College, Darwani, Khayrat Nagar and Belachondi have been shut for two decades. Currently, six pairs of intercity trains and one mail train run via Syedpur, while two local trains that once served the closed stations were discontinued due to reported losses.
Beyond travel hardship, the closures have left station buildings, loop lines and other infrastructure to deteriorate, with adjacent land increasingly encroached upon. Officials estimate the unused assets are worth around Tk 750 crore, yet no plan exists to reopen the stations or protect the property.
At Khayratnagar and Darwani stations, tin-shed buildings now serve as cowsheds, with ticket counters and passenger facilities left unsafe. Khayratnagar station, named after language movement veteran Khayrat Hossain, sits just one kilometer from Uttara EPZ. Despite repeated visits by EPZ authorities, district administration and railway officials to explore extending the line to the EPZ, the project remains stalled.
Local resident Abdul Majid said commercial activity in the Darwani area collapsed after the station closed. Syedpur station master Obaidul Islam Ratan said extending the Santahar-Parbatipur Uttara local train to Chilahati, combined with reopening the closed stations with adequate staffing, could restore stoppages for local and mail trains. This would reduce ticketless travel, boost government revenue and safeguard railway assets worth hundreds of crores of taka.
