By IANS
Dhaka/New Delhi : The passenger train service from Dhaka to Kolkata might start operating from August with the work of converting the track from meter gauge to broad gauge progressing at a steady clip.
Governments of the two countries had signed an agreement on the direct Bangladesh-India rail link in 2001 during the Awami League government. But the work stalled during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-Jamaat alliance government's rule (2001-06), The Daily Star noted Monday.
It is now well on the track to completion.
In Dhaka, members of the recently formed technical and commercial committees comprising senior railway officials from the two South Asian neighbours are reviewing necessary preparations regarding the service.
Following two meetings between delegations of the two countries, officials are now negotiating the finer details.
Laying of broad gauge tracks from Joydevpur to Kamalapur in Bangladesh is almost finished, the newspaper quoted official sources as saying.
"The new broad gauge line up to Dhaka Cantonment from Joydevpur is complete. Right now, trains from Shialdah railway station can directly come to Dhaka Cantonment station. But we have not decided yet whether trains will commute between Joydevpur and Shialdah or between Cantonment and Shialdah," said Shafiqul Alam Khan, director of public relations of Bangladesh Railway.
Indian Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had also announced that conversion of the narrow gauge tracks into broad gauge on the Indian side had been completed.
"The Dhaka-Kolkata rail link will be ready by August this year," Lalu Prasad told a delegation of 35 civil service officers from Bangladesh last week.
India is to provide a $150 million credit line to Bangladesh to upgrade railway tracks here, he said.
Policy level details are being worked out now, including accommodating the immigration and custom departments, fixing the fare, the sizes of trains and the number of passengers they will be able to carry.
According to a proposal, there will be three categories of fares of $8, $12 and $20. Bangladesh will keep 78 percent of the revenue while India will get the rest, as the distance between Shialdah and the Bangladesh border is 120 km while the length of the rail track in Bangladesh territory is 418 km.
A 10-coach train with the capacity of carrying a total of 760 passengers will commute everyday. The train will start at 7.45 a.m. from Bangladesh towards India and at 7 a.m. from Shialdah to Bangladesh.
"If immigration checks are conducted at the station then it will take eight hours to reach Kolkata. But if the check is conducted at the border, then it will take no less than 11 hours," said Khan.
Bangladeshi crews on board a train will ride up to the border and will come back on board the train coming from India, while the Indian crews will come to the border and go back with the passengers going to India.
Similar train services run between India and Pakistan. The Samjhauta Express connects Attari with Lahore and the Thar Express from Khokrapar to Munabao links what geographers call 'The Great Indian Desert'.