Mitali Express starts regular service

The Mitali Express, the third cross-border passenger train between Bangladesh and India, started its regular weekly service from Indian side of New Jalpaiguri on Wednesday - more than a year after the train service was inaugurated.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon and his counterpart Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw jointly flagged off the train virtually from Rail Bhaban in Delhi at around 10:10 am, which made the first journey of around 513 kilometres from New Jalpaiguri to reach Dhaka Cantonment.
The train will run on every Monday and Thursday with air-conditioned cabin coaches and AC chair cars to complete the journey in nearly 10 hours.
The Mitali Express was inaugurated by the prime ministers of Bangladesh and India on March 26, 2021, but its regular service could not be operated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Addressing the flag off ceremony, the Bangladeshi railways minister hoped that the new route will be popular soon. He asked the authorities concerned to increase the number of train operations from two days a week to five days a week.
He said efforts are going on to restore all train services between the two neighbouring countries, and sought India's assistance to develop the country's railway infrastructure.
The Indian minister termed the new train operation another milestone of the friendship between India and Bangladesh, and assured of his government's cooperation to help develop the Bangladesh Railway.
He also mentioned about the railway sector projects - taken with financial support of the Indian government, and said India has provided three separate lines of credit since 2011, which is 25 per cent of total soft loans.
The Mitali Express is set to start journey from Dhaka at 9:50 pm on Mondays and Thursdays and reach New Jalpaiguri at 7:15 am on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The train's journey from the other side will start for Dhaka at 11:45 am on Sundays and Wednesdays and reach Dhaka on the same days at 10:30 pm.

smunima@yahoo.com