Khulna-Kolkata train service kicks off April 8

The much-awaited passenger train service on Khulna-Benapole-Kolkata route will be launched on April 8.

All the necessary preparations, including the development of the infrastructure at Benapole point, have been taken for launching the train service, Railway officials said.

They said the train will start its journey from Khulna and leave for Kolkata via Petrapole station on completion of all the formalities, including passport and baggage checking at immigration and customs booth of Benapole railway station.

Earlier, on Friday, SN Agarwal, general manager East Zone rail of India, visited the Petrapole border station. During the visit, he said, the passenger train will ply Khulna-Kolkata route via Benapole-Petrapole stations from April 8.

The infrastructure development works, including the construction of immigration and customs buildings, and rooms for railway police, have already been completed at Benapole and Petrapole to facilitate the journeys of passengers between the two countries.

On January 11, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla announced to launch the Khulna-Kolkata train service at a programme in Narail.

Basudeb Panda, divisional railway manager of east zone, India, said the work to decorate the Petrapole station is underway as all the infrastructural works have already been completed.

Additional General Manager of Bangladesh Railway Habibur Rahman said "Primarily, passengers from Jessore Junction, Benapole and Nauapara stations would get the facility to board the train and the number of trips and stations will be increased after considering the overall performance of the train service."

Passengers may have their tickets online alongside the manual collection, he said.

Currently, the Maitree Express, which was re-launched on April 14 2008, runs between Kolkata and Dhaka through Darshana-Gede border.

Regular passenger train services had existed between Khulna and Sealdah station through the Benapole-Petrapole route before the creation of East Pakistan in 1947.

Since 1947, passenger train service on this route has remained closed.

Goods train services between the two countries through Benapole-Petrapole border was reintroduced in January, 2001.

Source: dailysun