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Journalism of Courage
Two years after they were stopped due to the onset of the pandemic on March 28, 2020, passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed Sunday with the Bandhan Express setting off from Kolkata for Khulna and the Maitree Express starting its run from Dhaka for Kolkata. A third train, the Mitali Express, will be flagged later this week by Railways ministers of the two countries.
The trains
The Bandhan Express was resumed by rebooting a long-forgotten rail link between Kolkata and the industrial hub of Khulna, the third-largest city of Bangladesh. In 1965, this route was served by the Barisal Express, which was stopped due to the India-Pakistan war. The Narendra Modi government along with the Sheikh Hasina regime restarted that with Bandhan in 2017.
The Bandhan Express was the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April, 2008. It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna via Petrapole and Benapole border route to cater to the demands of the people from both the countries.
The Maitree Express has been a success since its launch. The tri-weekly service between Kolkata and Dhaka used to run with 90 per cent occupancy. The train has a capacity to carry 456 passengers, the same as Bandhan Express.
The Bandhan Express has AC Chair Car and AC First Class coaches. On Sunday, only 19 passengers were on board the Bandhan, but officials said the numbers would increase.
The Mitali Express will connect New Jalpaiguri in North Bengal with Dhaka. This train was announced by PM Modi during his visit to Dhaka in March, 2021.
Beyond passenger travel
The governments of both the countries have been working towards strengthening the rail link between them, and not just through passenger trains.
In August 2021, the two sides started regular movement of freight trains between the newly-restored link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh.
The Haldibari-Chilahati rail link between India and the then East Pakistan was also operational till 1965 and stopped due to the war. This was part of the broad gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri at the time of Partition. The two sides envisage at least 20 freight trains to cross the border per month on this link.
Rail infrastructure
Once part of a single, seamless railway network under British rule, trains continued to pass between the two countries even after the Partition. The infrastructure to connect the two sides through railways was, therefore, largely present.
Policymakers on both sides viewed this as an opportunity to deepen diplomatic ties using cross-border movements of goods and passengers.
Five rail links have so far been rebooted between India and Bangladesh.
They include Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India)- Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh) and the Haldibari-Chilahati link.
Ordinarily, stone chips, ballasts, rice etc. have been carried to Bangladesh. Railway PSU CONCOR has also started container cargo with such Fast Moving Consumer Goods of private clients. Typically the idea is to establish faster and cheaper freight link by weaning them away from the sea route.
Last year, the Eastern Railway facilitated the import of de-oiled soya cakes from Bangladesh.
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In October last year, around 1.2 million tonnes of the commodity was transported by rail, instead of the usual route between the Nhava Sheva port and Land Customs Stations, Petrapole Port.
