Munima Sultana
The Khulna-Kolkata express train is yet to attract passengers of Bangladesh and India seven months after its launching due to high rate of fares and low frequency of the service.
Sources said Bangladesh Railway (BR) charges Tk 2000 for air conditioned and Tk 1500 for chair coaches to cross 172 kilometres way in four and a half hours.
On the other hand, a bus passenger can easily manage the trip within Tk 500 in a reduced time-frame.
Sources said on an average, the train leaves stations with 100 passengers against its capacity of 456 seats.
"In many days, the Khulna-Kolkata express train starts journey with 50 passengers only," said an official.
He said only six to seven per cent passengers of India avail of the service.
BR in collaboration with Indian Railway carried 253 passengers through Khulna-Kolkata train service known as Bandhan Express on the inaugural day on November 09, 2017.
The train service was flagged off by the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India through a videoconference.
The service resumed after 52 years which remained suspended due to India-Pakistan war in 1965.
This is the second train service with India.
The first cross-country train service between the two countries known as Moitry Express was launched almost 10 years back.
A railway official also said as the train is now operating only a day of a week, people feel discouraged to use this mode of transport service.
The railway official, however, said people will love to avail the train service if it is available at least three days a week.
He argued that Moitry Express used to get poor number of passengers at the initial time when it remained open two days in a week.
But it is now operated with fulfillment of almost 100 per cent as it remain opened round the week.
Sources alleged the Khulna-Kolkata train service was launched without any feasibility study.
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