Friday 27 July 2007

To Dhaka on Rails

Bangladeshi railway officials are seen inspecting the line on the Bangladeshi side of the border near the railway station at Darshana, in the photograph on the right.

The railway route between Bangladesh and India was re-established recently with the commissioning of a goods train and it is hoped that the passenger traffic would also resume soon.

Railway link was established in 1884 and passenger services continued until 1965 (during the Indo-Pakistan war).

In 1972 goods train service was resumed but due to lack of goods, it had to be stopped. Right now preparations are on at both sides of the border. Renovation of platform and stations is on.

Trial runs would continue and though the final date of the commencement of the service is yet to be announced, it seems the regular train service from Kolkata to Dhaka would start from August. In the other photograph on the left, the coolies wait for the train at Gede.

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