Dhaka – Siliguri train to start from March !

Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan has announced plans to launch a trans-border passenger train service connecting Dhaka and the Indian city of Siliguri in March, 2021. The decision was finalised during a meeting between the minister and Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswamy on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

Currently, the South Asian neighbours only have one trans-border passenger train, the Maitree Express, in operation, connecting Kolkata to Dhaka and Khulna.

Around 20 km from the Bangladesh border, Siliguri is the largest city in the northeastern part of West Bengal.

Bangladeshis travelling to Darjeeling or Sikkim must go through Siliguri to reach their destination. While bus services from Dhaka to Siliguri are currently available, the establishment of rail links between the cities is likely to boost travel further.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will jointly inaugurate the trans-border rail service in December via video conference.