Are there rail connections to Bangladesh from India?

July 19, 2019, 12:23 PM

Passenger services have been running on a trial basis between the two countries, commencing with the running of the Maitry Express (‘Friendship Express’) on the 117km stretch between Sealdah and Bongobandhu East in Bangladesh. A 60km stretch from there to Dhaka is under construction (it existed earlier but washed away in a flood in 1978). Prior to this, there have never been any scheduled passenger services between India and Bangladesh since the latter country came into being in 1971. Recently [3/07] passenger and freight services have been proposed between Sealdah / Kolkata terminal (Chitpore) to Joydebpur / Dhaka in Bangladesh, and some trial runs have been made. The proposal is for a 10-coach daily train to run from Gede on the Indian side to Joydebpur across the border, and then on to Dhaka (~330km). Goods trains run regularly between the countries.

In the past there were many trains running between India and East Pakistan. In 1964, there were three trains from Sealdah running into East Pakistan: the East Bengal Express (via Gede to Parbatipur and Goalandu Ghat), the East Bengal Mail (via Gede to Parbatipur) and the Barisal Express (to Khulna via Petrapole). The Barisal Express was a passenger train until 1947, and a mixed train later. A passenger service ran from Karimganj (NFR) to Kulaura (Bangladesh). These services all ceased after the 1965 war.

The BG connections across the border that still exist are Benapole to Petrapole, Gede (Gethe) to Darshana / Chuadanga, and Singhabad (Sinhabad) near Malda to Rohanpur (near Rajshahi). (In all of these the first location is in India and the other is in Bangladesh.) Freight trains have been run on these lines off and on since 1972 after the formation of Bangladesh, and more regularly after transport agreements were signed by the two countries in the 1990s. In 2008, proposals were being considered to run more freight trains, including container services between Uttar Pradesh and Dhaka.

A MG link exists between Mahisasan (Mohishashon) and Shahbazpur. Another link is between Radhikapur and Birol. These last two links are used occasionally for freight. The Petrapole-Benapole link was used for freight in the period 1972-1974. [1/01] Freight services have been re-introduced on this link now, and [7/01] also trial passenger services.

There was also a Darjeeling Mail which ran from Sealdah to Siliguri (on BG) via the Bengal – Assam Railway, across the Sara Bridge, through what later became East Pakistan. That train was discontinued in the 60s (?) and there was no train service from Calcutta to Siliguri until the Meter Gauge Assam Rail Link (between Barsoi and Siliguri?) was completed.

There were also some other MG passenger services between East Pakistan and Assam in India (from Kulaura in E. Pakistan to Karimganj in Assam), with a Pakistani border checkpoint at Latu. Most of eastern Bangladesh is MG (the area around Dhaka is also MG); while the BG network is confined to the western portion.

List of former rail connections between the territories that are now India and Bangladesh:

Sealdah – Bongaon – Petrapol – Benapol – Jessore
Sealdah – Banpur – Gede – Abdulpur – Parbatipur – Haldibari – Siliguri
Katihar – Radhikapur – Biral – Parbatipur – Tista – eetaldaha – Golakganj – Fakiragram
Geetaldaha – Alipur duar
Mogalhat – Changrabandha – Domohani
Badarpur – Kalaura (Sylhet)

Source – IFRCA.org

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