India and Bangladesh announced plans to reopen a railway line connecting the Indian state of West Bengal to the Bangladeshi border station of Chilahati that has been closed for 55 years, Business Insider reported Dec 16. Why It Matters: India is concerned about Chinese encroachment in its northeastern states, which are only connected by a narrow strip of land called the Siliguri Corridor. The reopening of a direct railway line between these states and the rest of India will ease such worries, while also furthering New Delhi’s efforts to secure its borders and curb Beijing’s regional influence by building closer relationships with its neighbors. This latest move, however, will risk prompting China to more aggressively strengthen its own ties with Bangladesh by proposing more projects under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the country.