Passenger train services had been stopped after the Covid-19 pandemic

Passenger train services between India and Bangladesh will resume on May 29. Railway services between the two countries were suspended in March 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Maitri Express between Dhaka and Kolkata and Bandhan Express between Kolkata and Khulna will be resumed on May 28. This will be followed by the launch of the Mitali Express service between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka on June 1.

Tweeting about this, the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh wrote, “Resumption of India-Bangladesh train services! Cross-border Maitri Express Service b/w Dhaka-Kolkata & Bandhan Express Service b/w Kolkata-Khulna to be resumed on 29/05/22. Mitali Express Service b/w New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka to be launched on 01/06/22.”

The Railway Board has issued orders to resume Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express from Dhaka by Bangladesh Railway rake and Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express from Kolkata by Indian Railways rake on May 29.

The services of NJP-Dhaka Mitali Express will begin on June 1, following the scheduled virtual flagging off of Mitali Express by the railway ministers of India and Bangladesh from Rail Bhawan.

The Mitali Express train was announced in March last year on the occasion of 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's birth centenary and golden jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence.

It was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and but services could not commence till now due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The bi-weekly train has 10 coaches -- four AC cabins, four AC chairs and two power car brake vans. It is expected to give a boost to tourism in both the countries.