By Xinhua,
Dhaka : Passenger train service between Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and Kolkata, capital of India’s State of West Bengal, resumed after 43 years on Monday morning with an atmosphere of festivity.
Bangladesh Communication Adviser Major General (ret) Ghulam Quader inaugurated the service in Dhaka and the train named “Maitree (Friendship) Express” started to leave for Kolkata at around 8:35 am from Dhaka Cantonment Station in presence of distinguished guests of home and abroad, including foreign diplomats.
Aminul Islam, spokesman of Communication Ministry of Bangladesh, told Xinhua by phone there are 370 passengers aboard including a team of jounalists.
Simultaneously another train from Kolkata is set to arrive in Dhaka Monday evening.
The train service between Dhaka and Kolkata was suspended in March 1965 following the war between India and Pakistan when Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan.
Train fares have been fixed at between 8 U.S. dollars and 20 U.S. dollars depending on the classes for the 538 km journey — 418 km in Bangladesh and 120 km in India. Fares for each sleeping berth is 20 U.S. dollars.
It will take around 13 hours for the journey, including 5 hours for immigration.
On April 10, Bangladesh and India signed an agreement clearing the way for cross-border run of trains on the Dhaka-Kolkata route.
According to the agreement, at the beginning there is one train service a week from each side. Two trains from Dhaka and Kolkata will depart on Saturdays and return on Sundays.