Bandhan Express: For first time since 1965 war, India-Bangladesh launch new train service
After a gap of more than five decades, India and Bangladesh resumed train service between Kolkata and Khulna on Thursday.
Bandhan Express was flagged off jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Bangladeshis couterpart Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee via a video conference.
This is the second train service launched between the two countries after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka in 2008.
The connectivity between Kolkata and Khulna by trains was stopped in 1965 owing to the Indo-Pak war.There was a trial run of the train on April 8 this year. The train comprised 10 air condition coaches.
Bandhan Express will be a weekly train leaving from Kolkata every Thursday at 7.10 am. It would reach Khulna in Bangladesh at about 12 noon, IST. The return journey would start from Bangladesh at 1 pm (IST) and reach Kolkata at 5 pm.
In India, immigration and customs check would take place at Kolkata International Passenger Terminal and Benapol Border Station for Bangladesh side.
In order to reduce the journey time, ministry of railways, with the coordination of department of immigration and customs has opened an International Rail Passenger Terminus at Kolkata Station with the required infrastructure and facilities to end-to-end immigration.
PM Modi spoke a few lines in Bengali greeting the people of India and Bangladesh. He said that the close connection and understanding between two countries required connectivity between the people across the border and that Maitree Express and Bandhan Express trains would bring more connectivity between India and Bangladesh and strengthen further bonding.
Hasina assured that all the services between India and Bangladesh which existed prior to 1965, along this route, would be started again.
Calling it a historic day, Mamata Banerjee said that with the initiation of the new train service the bonding between the two countries will become further stronger. She also invited Hasina over to Bengal.
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