How To Reach Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar is a district and town in the state of West Bengal and is another interesting destination in the state. Cooch Behar features significantly in history from the time when it formed part of the Kamarupa Kingdom of Assam. During the rule of the British East Indian Company, Cooch Behar became a princely state known as Koch Bihar, ruled by the Koch dynasty. A part of the Himalayan Terai of West Bengal, Cooch Behar is bound by Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri in the north, Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts of Assam to the east and in the west and south by Bangladesh. It is well accessible from different parts of the state.

Cooch Behar does have an airport of its own but it is now dysfunctional. For air connectivity it has to depend upon Bagdogra Airport which is located in Siliguri about 121 km from the town. Bagdogra enjoys decent connectivity with major cities of the country like Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai etc. There are regular flights operating between Bagdogra and the capital city of Kolkata. Public and private carriers like Air India, Spicejet, Indigo have flights flying to and from Bagdogra. From the airport, taxis, cabs and buses from SIliguri bus junction are available to transport people to Cooch Behar.

New Cooch Behar Railway Station is the district and town’s nearest railhead. It was constructed on the broad gauge New Jalpaiguri to New Bongaigoan section of Barauni-Guwhati line and the lines were laid in 1966. The station is located a mere 3.5 km from Cooch Behar town. Operated by the Northeast Frontier Railways, there are a fair number of trains travelling to and from New Cooch Behar Railway Station. Kamakhya-Puri Express, Dibrugarh-Amritsar weekly Express, Dibrigarh-Chandigarh Express, Guwahati –Kolkata Garib Rath Express, Aronai Express, Kanchanjungha Express are some of the many trains that pass through or originate from Cooch Behar. From the station, rickshaws and cabs are available for ferrying people to their destination.

Cooch Behar enjoys great road connectivity with the neighbouring towns and cities, Kolkata and the rest of the country. After Siliguri, Cooch Behar is a major roadway junction leading to the North East and Bangladesh. It also happens to be the headquarters of North Bengal State Transport Corporation and operates regular bus services in and between West Bengal, Bihar and Assam. Private Coaches also ply regularly between Cooch Behar and neighbouring and far flung areas. Public and private operators together have made Cooch Behar an easily accessible destination in the state. There is a Central Bus Terminus located near the Rajbari from where most of the buses depart.

Being a prominent town in the northern part of the state of West Bengal, Cooch Behar has a well developed transport system. It is not only easy to travel to neighbouring areas but even within the district and the town, commuting is simple and hassle-free. Rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and totos are available in abundance. Get into one and travel anywhere you want. The residents here travel mostly by bikes and bicycles. Taxis and cabs are also available for sightseeing.