‘Bandhan’ binds India and Bangladesh
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It may not be remembered by many but passenger trains had operated between India and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) routes until 1965. But the Indo-Pak War in 1965 led to the discontinuation of these trans-national services. After liberation of Bangladesh in 1971, gradually freight traffic began operating on some routes between India and Bangladesh. Now more than 50 years later one of the old routes has been revived for passenger traffic.
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more... On 9th November, 2017 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Ms Sheikh Hasina and Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms Mamata Banerjee, inaugurated the ‘Bandhan Express’ through video conference. The fully air conditioned train will run once a week between Kolkata Railway Station and Khulna.
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The Bandhan Express is the second passenger train to be introduced since Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment stations in April, 2008.
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2. It covers a distance of 172 kilometers between Kolkata and Khulna in four and half hours.
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3. India has assisted Bangladesh in building two bridges viz. second Bhairab rail bridge on river Meghna and Titas bridge over Titas river at the cost of $100 million to operationalize the link. These bridges will prove an asset for Bangladesh for their internal railway traffic as well.
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4. A new immigration system has been put along with the train to speed up transit process. The international passenger rail terminus provides commuters with end to end immigration at the station of origin and destination. A lot of time and effort would thus be saved.
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Bandhan literally means bonding. Tens of thousands of people visit Bangladesh and vice versa for personal or business reasons. The Bandhan Express will come as boon for them. With this train the Bandhan between our two nations will become stronger.
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