Bangladesh-India train service likely from May 29

The rail service between Bangladesh and India is likely to resume from May 29 after the operation remained suspended for more than two years due to pandemic.

Moreover, Mitali Express, the third passenger train to be operated between the two countries, is likely to start operation from June 1.

The train would be operated between Dhaka and West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri (NJP) for four days in a week.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, who is expected to visit India late this month, and Indian Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will jointly inaugurate the new train from Rail Bhavan in New Delhi virtually, railway sources said.

Railways of both the countries agreed about the dates, Sardar Shahadat Ali, additional director general (operations) of Bangladesh Railway (BR) said.

However, they will be able to give formal announcement about the dates after holding an inter-ministerial meeting likely on Sunday or Monday, he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Before the suspension of service in March 2020, Maitree Express was being operated on Dhaka-Kolkata route for five days in a week while Bandhan Express on Khulna-Kolkata route twice weekly. 

Mitali Express, which was inaugurated by prime ministers of Bangladesh and India on March 26 last year, would use Chilahati-Haldibari rail link.

After 55 years, rail communication between the countries via Chilahati-Haldibari route resumed in December 2020. A move was taken in March to resume the service in that month this year but could not be re-started over some visa related and Covid protocol related issues.

But, both BR and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka recently wrote to Indian railway ministry to resume cross border passenger train services. Following that the dates were fixed, BR sources said.

Maitree Express will resume operation from Dhaka with BR rack (train) while operation of Bandhan Express will resume from Kolkata with Indian Railway's rack, they said.

NEW TRAIN

New Jalpaiguri has the biggest railway station in the northern part of West Bengal and is just six km away from Siliguri. It is a key junction between mainland India and north-eastern India.

The 10-coach all-AC train would be operated twice from Dhaka and twice from NJG every week, railway officials said.

The train will leave Dhaka at 9:50pm Monday and Thursday and will reach NJP at 7:15am on Tuesday and Friday.

On the other hand, the train will leave NJP at 11:45am on Sunday and Wednesday and will reach Dhaka at 10:30pm on the same day, he said.

BR will sell three categories' tickets for passengers. Each ticket of berth would be $44.  Fifteen percent VAT and Tk 500 as travel tax would be added for each ticket, meaning the one-way travel on berth will cost Tk 4,905.

Each ticket of cabin seat would be $33 meaning total cost of the ticket would be Tk 3,805 while chair seat would be $22 meaning the cost would be Tk 2,705.

Custom formalities would be carried out at Dhaka's Cantonment Station and NJP Station, Shahidul Islam said. The train would be operated with Indian rack.

The operation of Dhaka-Kolkata train service resumed in April, 2008, ending the 43-year pause in the route as two passenger trains called the Maitree Express started simultaneously from Dhaka and Kolkata.

Bandhan Express was launched in November 2017. Maitree was operated five days in a week while Bandhan two days.