RAJYA SABHA
There are already rail links between India and Bangladesh through the following five routes:
1. Gede (India)-Darsana (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge
2. Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge
3. Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge
4. Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh) - Broad Gauge on Indian side and Metre Gauge on Bangladesh side.
5. Mahisasan (India)-Shahbazpur (Bangladesh) - Metre Gauge.
Presently only goods train services are running between India and Bangladesh through Gede-Darsana, Singhabad-Rohanpur and Petrapole-Benapole BG routes. Operation of Radhikapur-Birol route has remained suspended since 01.04.2005 due to Broadgauging on Indian side while the track on Birol-Parbatipur section in Bangladesh Railway is still in Metre Gauge. The Mahisasan-Shahbazpur MG route has not been operational since December, 1996 due to lack of traffic.
Also, an agreement for running Passenger Train Service between Sealdah and Jamuna Bridge was signed in 2001 and during the visit of Minister of External Affairs to Dhaka on February 19, 2007, Bangladesh agreed for early operationalisation of Sealdah (Kolkata)-Joydevpur (Dhaka) passenger train service. This was reiterated by both sides in the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting held in Dhaka in March 2007.
On 8th July, 2007, the Indian Team comprising officers from the concerned Ministries/Departments conducted a trial run of the passenger train. In the Inter-Governmental Meeting held on July 9-10, 2007 in Dhaka, both sides expressed their willingness to commence the commercial operation of the passenger train as early as possible subject to other relevant related concerns being addressed to mutual satisfaction. Bangladesh side also conducted their trial run service on July 29, 2007. However, regular traffic is yet to commence.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri R.Velu in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
AKS/HK/CK/TR