Dhaka-Kolkata train: Resumption of services on cards

Bangladesh has proposed rerouting the Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express via the Padma Bridge to cut travel time between Dhaka and Kolkata.

Road Transport, Bridges and Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said the proposal was discussed with Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi at a meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday.

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“We have proposed changing the route connecting the two cities to strengthen the economies. We have to consider all aspects before taking a decision. It will take time,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Trivedi also acknowledged that the new route through the Padma Bridge would cut travel time by three hours.

The Maitree Express currently operates via the Jamuna Bridge.

The proposal was also discussed at the three-day Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM) between Bangladesh and India, which began yesterday at Rail Bhaban in Dhaka. A 15-member Bangladesh delegation led by an additional secretary of the railway ministry and a nine-member Indian delegation are participating in the talks.

This was the first formal discussion between the two countries’ rail authorities since the political changeover following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

The Maitree Express, Bandhan Express and Mitali Express have remained suspended since July 19, 2024, amid the student-led July uprising. Freight train operations, however, resumed later.

Apart from resuming passenger train services, the meeting discussed the import of 200 railway coaches, expansion of freight train operations, customs-related issues, and increasing trade and connectivity between the two countries, railway sources said.

The services may resume from next month if both sides reach an agreement, the sources said, adding that the final decision will be taken after discussions between the political authorities of the two countries.