What Happened
- The Railway Board issued a circular on February 4, 2026, making identity verification compulsory for all passengers travelling on reserved tickets in international border areas along Nepal and Bangladesh.
- At least one passenger in a group must carry an original, prescribed photo identity document during the journey; failure to produce it may result in all travellers being treated as ticketless.
- A follow-up directive on February 6, 2026, emphasized strict compliance, particularly on India-Nepal and India-Bangladesh border railway routes.
- The move aims to prevent illegal travel, fraudulent ticketing, and address security concerns in border areas.
- Affected train services include cross-border trains such as the Bandhan Express, Maitree Express, and Mitali Express connecting Indian and Bangladeshi cities, and the Jaynagar-Kurtha line serving Nepal.
Static Topic Bridges
India-Bangladesh Cross-Border Rail Connectivity
India and Bangladesh share a 4,096 km land border, the fifth longest in the world. Rail connectivity between the two countries, disrupted after 1965, has been progressively restored since 2008. Three cross-border train services currently operate, re-establishing links that existed before Partition.
- Maitree Express (2008): Kolkata to Dhaka via Gede-Darshana crossing, 375 km, runs five days a week. Re-established after a 43-year gap.
- Bandhan Express (2017): Kolkata to Khulna via Petrapole-Benapole crossing, runs twice a week (Sunday and Thursday).
- Mitali Express (2022): New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka Cantonment via Haldibari-Chilahati crossing, 513 km, runs bi-weekly. This northern route connects Bangladesh to India's northeast corridor.
- All three require valid passport and visa for cross-border travel.
- India-Bangladesh border crossings: Five rail links have been restored or are under restoration (Gede-Darshana, Petrapole-Benapole, Haldibari-Chilahati, Agartala-Akhaura, Radhikapur-Birol).
Connection to this news: The new ID verification mandate applies to domestic reserved trains operating in areas near these border crossings, addressing concerns about misuse of railway travel for illegal cross-border movement on domestic segments.
India-Nepal Open Border: Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950
India and Nepal share a 1,751 km open border, governed by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed on July 31, 1950. The treaty allows free movement of people and goods between the two countries without visas or passports, making it one of the most open international borders in the world.
- The 1950 Treaty grants citizens of both countries the right to travel, reside, trade, and acquire property in either country without visa requirements.
- The open border creates security challenges: concerns about cross-border smuggling, counterfeit currency circulation, illegal arms trafficking, and use of the border by terrorist elements.
- The Jaynagar-Kurtha rail link (34 km) was inaugurated in 2024, connecting Bihar's Jaynagar to Kurtha in Nepal's Dhanusha district, as part of a broader 68.7 km Jaynagar-Bardibas rail project.
- India's Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is the designated border guarding force for the India-Nepal border, deployed since 2001.
- 26 bilateral border crossing points (Integrated Check Posts) exist along the India-Nepal border.
Connection to this news: The open border with Nepal poses unique security challenges for railway travel, as the absence of visa requirements means standard immigration checks do not apply. The new ID mandate for reserved trains is designed to create an identity verification layer in border areas where free movement otherwise prevails.
Border Management and Internal Security Architecture
India's border management involves a multi-layered security apparatus with distinct forces deployed at different borders. The security challenges at the Nepal and Bangladesh borders differ significantly: Bangladesh has a fenced border with active patrolling, while the Nepal border is largely open and unfenced.
- Border Security Force (BSF): Guards the India-Bangladesh border; authorized strength of approximately 2.65 lakh personnel.
- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): Guards the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders; raised in 1963 as Special Service Bureau, renamed in 2001.
- India-Bangladesh border: 4,096 km, fencing completed on approximately 91% of the border. The Border Out Posts (BOPs) and Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) provide layered monitoring.
- India-Nepal border: 1,751 km, largely unfenced due to the open border treaty. Smart fencing and surveillance technology are being deployed at vulnerable stretches.
- The Ministry of Home Affairs' Border Area Development Programme (BADP) funds infrastructure development in border areas.
Connection to this news: The railway ID verification mandate complements the existing border security architecture by adding an identity check layer within the domestic transport network, addressing the vulnerability that illegal travellers may use reserved trains as a secure mode of transport in border regions.
Key Facts & Data
- India-Bangladesh border length: 4,096 km (fifth longest in the world).
- India-Nepal border length: 1,751 km (open border under 1950 Treaty).
- Cross-border trains to Bangladesh: Maitree Express (2008), Bandhan Express (2017), Mitali Express (2022).
- Jaynagar-Kurtha rail link to Nepal: 34 km, inaugurated 2024 (part of 68.7 km Jaynagar-Bardibas project).
- BSF guards India-Bangladesh border; SSB guards India-Nepal border (since 2001).
- Railway Board circulars: February 4 and February 6, 2026.
- India-Bangladesh border fencing: approximately 91% complete.
- Treaty of Peace and Friendship: Signed July 31, 1950 between India and Nepal.