Move to resume Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali Express services between Bangladesh and India

The process of restarting the Maitree, Mitali and Bandhan Express trains operating between Bangladesh and India has begun.

The matter will be formally discussed at the annual meeting between the railway authorities of the two countries.

The two-day meeting begins in Dhaka tomorrow, Tuesday. If both countries agree, the three cross-border trains could resume services as early as next month.

The meeting between the railway authorities of the two countries is known as the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM). Railway sources said the issues to be discussed with the Indian authorities have already been finalised.

In addition to restarting the three trains operating between the two countries, Bangladesh will propose launching a new passenger train service from Rajshahi to Kolkata.

Bangladesh will also express interest in operating the Maitree Express between Dhaka and Kolkata via the Padma Bridge. Until now, the Maitree train has operated via the Jamuna Bridge.

Railway sources said the Indian railway authorities are also interested in restarting the three passenger train services. However, the opinions of the foreign, home and other relevant ministries of both countries will be required before a decision can be made.

Representatives of the relevant ministries will also attend Tuesday’s meeting. The final decision will come from the political authorities of the two countries.

The IGRM meeting is held alternately in Bangladesh and India. The most recent meeting was held in New Delhi, India, from 20 to 22 January last year. After being postponed several times, this year’s meeting will be held at Rail Bhaban in Dhaka.

The Maitree Express service was suspended during the mass uprising led by the students and the public on 16 July 2024. The suspension of the Maitree, Bandhan and Mitali Express services was officially announced from 19 July.

Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, the country underwent a political change. Things gradually returned to normal. However, passenger train services between Bangladesh and India have not resumed.

Railway officials said the Indian authorities had almost stopped issuing travel visas after the fall of Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh also tightened its visa issuance process. As a result, efforts to resume passenger train services did not move forward because visas were largely unavailable.

Without normal visa services, there would not have been enough passengers for the trains. After the BNP formed the government in February, both countries gradually began to restore their visa issuance processes, added the officials.

The Maitree Express between Dhaka and Kolkata was launched on 14 April 2008, the day of Pahela Baishakh. The Bandhan Express service between Khulna and Kolkata was launched on 9 November 2017. The Mitali Express passenger train service between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri began operations on 1 June 2022.

Railway sources said Bangladesh will formally raise the issue of restarting the trains at the meeting in Dhaka. However, the agenda does not specify when the train services could resume or whether there would be any changes to the previous timetables.

The Maitree and Bandhan Express services remained suspended for 26 months during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cross-border train services between Bangladesh and India were suspended from 15 March 2020 after coronavirus infections was detected in Bangladesh.

Apart from the periods during the Covid-19 pandemic and following the July mass uprising, train services between the two countries had remained normal.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Railway Ministry Secretary Md Fahimul Islam said many issues, including the resumption of passenger train services, would be discussed. “A final decision will be taken based on the discussions. The decisions of the two countries will be communicated,” he said.

Alongside restarting the suspended trains, Bangladesh is also proposing a change to the route of the Dhaka–Kolkata Maitree Express. The proposal to operate the Maitree Express via the Padma Bridge has been included as a separate agenda item in the upcoming talks between the two sides.

Bangladesh will also push for the operation of passenger trains at night. At present, all the trains operate during the daytime. Bangladesh will also propose introducing parcel booking on passenger trains. In other words, Bangladesh wants to add one or two coaches for transporting parcels alongside the passenger coaches.

Overall, in addition to restarting the three existing trains, several proposals to expand and change the scope and operating arrangements of passenger rail services between the two countries will be discussed this time.

A large part of the meeting will focus on freight transport, in addition to passenger trains. Bangladesh wants to increase the exchange of freight trains between the two countries.

In particular, Bangladesh wants freight trains to operate 24 hours a day on the Darshana–Gede, Petrapole–Benapole and Rohanpur–Singhabad routes. At present, freight trains are allowed to operate for limited hours, from sunrise to sunset.

Several administrative issues related to railway operations will also be raised at the meeting. Among them, the Bangladesh railway authorities will propose replacing the current route-specific visa system with another type of visa arrangement.

At present, passengers entering India by air cannot return by train or road. In other words, those who travel by air can return only by air. Those who travel by train must also return by train. The Bangladesh railway authorities want this rule to be changed.

The issue of Bangladesh’s outstanding payments to Indian Railways will also be discussed, along with wagons brought from India that are due for major routine maintenance or periodic overhauling (POH).

Bangladesh and India jointly operate passenger trains between the two countries. Revenue generated from these trains is divided according to distance.

In other words, revenue is shared based on the number of kilometres of railway travelled in each country. As the distance covered within Bangladesh is greater, Bangladesh Railway receives a larger share of the revenue.

Several railway projects are being implemented with loans from the Indian government. One of the notable projects is the construction of two new railway lines from Kamalapur in Dhaka to Joydebpur in Gazipur. Work on the project stopped shortly after the fall of the Awami League government.

Although work has now resumed, railway sources said progress has been slower than expected. Indian authorities have also withdrawn after promising to finance some other projects. These issues will be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting. Training programmes for Bangladesh Railway officials will also be discussed.

However, for ordinary passengers, the most important issue at this meeting could be the future of the three suspended trains. Direct rail links between Dhaka and Kolkata, Khulna and Kolkata, and Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri have been suspended for more than two years.

It will be crucial to see this time whether the railway authorities of the two countries reach any decision or agreement on restarting them during the talks. This is because travellers from both countries will plan their itineraries based on the outcome.