India has moved to accelerate inland waterways and rail logistics in West Bengal with infrastructure projects worth more than ₹830 crore (about $100 million), according to a Government of India press release.
The programme combines port-led river transport, rail connectivity and low-emission passenger shipping, aimed at lifting cargo throughput, easing congestion and tightening multimodal links across eastern India.
The centrepiece on the waterways side is the Extended Port Gate System at Balagarh, developed by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority.
Located around 45 nautical miles upstream from Kolkata, the facility is designed to divert cargo from the Kolkata Dock System and channel it through inland waterways.
The site includes a barge terminal with two berths for containerised and coal cargo and a projected capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum.
Balagarh is integrated with National Waterway-1 on the Ganga–Bhagirathi–Hooghly system and supported by road and rail connections.
A new road overbridge and dredging works are intended to allow year-round navigation and faster vessel turnaround.
Alongside cargo infrastructure, a 50-passenger hybrid electric aluminium catamaran has been introduced for operations on Kolkata’s waterways.
Built at a cost of ₹12 crore (about $1.45 million), the vessel uses lithium-titanate battery technology and forms part of a wider shift towards lower-emission inland passenger transport.
Projects worth ₹552 crore (about $66.5 million) have been initiated under the ports and inland waterways segment to expand river-based logistics and reduce pressure on established cargo routes, reinforcing the role of waterways within India’s multimodal transport network.
On the rail side, infrastructure works valued at ₹280 crore (about $33.7 million) were inaugurated. These include the commissioning of the 15-km Jayrambati–Barogopinathpur–Maynapur section of the wider 83-km Tarakeswar–Bishnupur rail project, the launch of a new passenger service between Jayrambati and Maynapur, and three Amrit Bharat Express services linking Santragachi with Tambaram, Howrah with Anand Vihar Terminal, and Sealdah with Banaras.
Taken together, the projects are positioned to strengthen freight flows, improve passenger mobility and consolidate West Bengal’s function as a logistics gateway between eastern and northeastern India.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is a central government ministry charged with policy formulation, planning and oversight for ports, shipping and inland waterways in India. It supervises port authorities and agencies, allocates investment for transport infrastructure and sets regulatory frameworks for maritime and inland water transport.
