As a part of its “Neighbourhood First” coverage, later within the week a 3rd practice service between India and Bangladesh will begin. This shall be connecting West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station in India to Dhaka in Bangladesh.
The Mitali Express, is anticipated to take nearly 9 hours and canopy over 513 Km s between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka Cantonment station.
Based on the data accessible within the public area, with 4 air-conditioned cabin coaches and 4 air-conditioned chair automobiles, the practice goes to be operated by a diesel engine.
What to count on on June 1?
The flagging off ceremony of Mitali Express goes to be flagged off from the Indian Railways Headquarters in New Delhi by Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and Bangladesh Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan. The practice will journey between Dhaka to Siligiri/New Jalpaiguri, by way of the newly inaugurated Haldibari-Chilahati route. This railway route connectivity dates again to pre-1965 days.
For worldwide journey between the 2 nations, there shall be customs and immigration companies in place too.
Bangladesh minister accompanied by prime senior officers have already arrived in New Delhi, and after the inauguration the 2 sides will sit down for bilateral conferences in an effort to additional improve cooperation between the 2 nations.
The Bangladesh minister together with his workforce can even go to some coach factories positioned in Kapurthala and different locations.
Senior officers have confirmed that Bangladesh has expressed its plans to import some diesel locomotives and trendy coaches.
Benefits of the brand new practice
The new practice won’t solely assist in people-to -people connections, however can also be anticipated to assist in growing tourism between the 2 nations. There are plans to have procuring malls, hospitals, and low-cost motels which might be anticipated to be constructed within the space which can assist individuals to maneuver across the stations.
The practice within the early days shall be bi-weekly and can depart New Jalpaiguri on each Thursday and Monday. And from neighbouring Dhaka, it is going to depart on Friday and Thursday.
Platform quantity IA has already been readied on the New Jalpaiguri station and the practice will begin from this level and there shall be immigration and customs companies accessible.
Connectivity between India and Bangladesh
As has been reported in Financial Express Online earlier, the 2 nations have been working collectively in an effort to enhance and additional improve the rail connectivity. Several tasks are being developed by each side and on the similar time some previous railway hyperlinks are being restored.
Some reviews quoting senior authorities official have said that there are a complete of 17 railway tasks which have been included within the Line of Credit prolonged to Bangladesh by India of USD 2.44 bn. And the speed of curiosity on the Indian LOC is 1 per cent every year and to be repaid over 20 years and a moratorium of 5 years.
More to return
It has additionally been reported earlier that there shall be connectivity between Northeast and Bangladesh and later this yr the Akhaura and Agartala is anticipated to be accomplished and this shall be one other necessary milestone between the 2 nations. The connectivity between Northeast and Bangladesh is anticipated to additional improve commerce between the 2 sides.
Expert View
“This will be 3rd transnational connectivity between the two countries and once this pre-1965 rail line becomes operational then all the six rail links between two countries are re-established,” says Gautam Lahiri, senior journalist and Bangladesh commentator.
Why is that this necessary?
According to Gautam Lahiri, “This will boost not only people to people connection as well helping in promoting trade and tourism between the two sides especially for North east.”
Connectivity with ASEAN
Yes. “In future it may be a link in ambitious Asian Railway network to open up Asean countries for trade and at the same time it will be an alternative success route of aggressive China’s BRI,” he factors out.
“There is a possibility of connecting this network to Kolkata as Dhaka-Kolkata are already connected by rail. Before 1965, this was the route from Kolkata to Siliguri which was closed after Pakistan war,” he says.
Adding, “Once the route is open distance between Kolkata and Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri will be reduced by atleast four hours.”
Source: www.financialexpress.com”