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Published : 23 Dec 2024, 09:25 PM
Train services between Dhaka and Khulna, as well as Benapole, will commence on Tuesday under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project.
Two intercity trains, named Jahanabad Express and Ruposhi Bangla Express, will mark the start of this new chapter in Bangladesh's railway history.
Railways Advisor Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan will inaugurate the services at Dhaka's Kamalapur Railway Station at 9:30am on Tuesday, joined by Secretary Md Fahimul Islam and other ministry and railway officials, according to a media statement issued on Monday.
The Jahanabad Express will connect Dhaka and Khulna, while the Ruposhi Bangla Express will run between Dhaka and Benapole.
Both routes will take less than four hours to traverse, significantly reducing travel time.
Advance ticket sales for the trains began last Saturday, available online and at designated station counters.
Both trains will have Mondays off.
Currently, two intercity trains, Sundarban Express and Chitra Express, operate on the Dhaka-Khulna route.
While Sundarban Express uses the Padma Bridge route, Chitra Express runs via the Bangabandhu Bridge.
A commuter train, Nakshikantha Express, has also been serving the Dhaka-Khulna route since Nov 1, 2023.
The Benapole Express, which previously ran via the Bangabandhu Bridge, will now follow the Padma Bridge, passing through Bhanga, Faridpur, Rajbari, Darshana, and Jashore to reach Benapole.
The Jahanabad Express will depart from Khulna at 6am and reach Dhaka’s Kamalapur at 9:45am.
It will leave Dhaka again at 8pm, arriving in Khulna at 11:40pm.
Stops along the route include Noapara, Singia Junction, Narail, Lohagara, Kashiani Junction, and Bhanga Junction.
The Ruposhi Bangla Express will leave Dhaka at 10:45am and reach Benapole at 2:30pm. It will depart Benapole at 3:30pm and return to Dhaka by 7:10pm, halting at Jashore, Narail, Kashiani, and Bhanga stations.
Initially, each train will have 11 coaches with 768 seats in total, railway authorities said.
Under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, the railway ministry has constructed a 172-kilometre broad-gauge railway from Dhaka to Jashore.
The project includes 14 new station buildings, six renovated stations, 66 major bridges, and 244 minor bridges.
The new rail link will reduce travel time between Dhaka and Khulna via the Padma Bridge and Kashiani in Gopalganj by about three and a half hours.
Travel time on the Jashore-Benapole route will be cut by nearly four hours.
Each section will see more than a 50 percent reduction in distance covered.
