India-Bangladesh : Train Service Details
India-Bangladesh train service details are following.
- India-Bangladesh : Train Service ~ News Updates
- Mitali Express : Dhaka Cantonment – New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal : India-Bangladesh Third Passenger Train
- Bandhan Express : Khulna – Kolkata : India-Bangladesh Second Passenger Train
- Maitree Express : Dhaka-Kolkata ~ India-Bangladesh First Passenger Train
India-Bangladesh : Train Service Details ~ News Updates
VISA Information And Application Centre At Kolkata Railway Station
Eastern Railway announced on 15.03.2023 that Kolkata Railway Station is an international station which handles 02 inter-dominion trains connecting Kolkata to Dhaka and Khulna. To facilitate such overseas passengers availing Visa services for Bangladesh bound trains, a Visa information and Application Centre has been commenced at Kolkata Railway Station. The project has been conceptualized under the scheme of new-innovative idea.
The Visa Centre shall facilitate passengers for getting Visa at their door-steps and provide information regarding Visa application procedure which is otherwise quite cumbersome. Thus, the international passengers can easily get Visa related information from Kolkata Station under a single roof while approaching for reservation in these 02 inter-dominion trains. This is also a significant step towards strengthening the ties between India and Bangladesh.
To mark the commencement of the “Visa information and Application Centre” a function has been organized at Kolkata Station wherein Shri Deepak Nigam, Divisional Railway Manager/Sealdah, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata and other distinguished Diplomats/Dignitaries were invited.
Apart from providing visa facilities to Indo-Bangladesh bound passengers, the above out of box idea of Visa Centre shall fetch a handsome amount of revenue to Railway Exchequer.
Mitali Express : Overseas Ticketing Counter Opened at Guwahati Railway Station
Northeast Frontier Railway announced that NFR has started operating an overseas ticketing counter at Guwahati railway station. This overseas ticket counter will facilitate the travellers who will travel by 13131/13132 (New Jalpaiguri – Dhaka – New Jalpaiguri) Mitali Express. The counter has been opened near the existing Guwahati booking office. The counter will remain open on all working days from 08:00 am to 08:00 pm.
Opening of the overseas counter at Guwahati railway station will benefit the travellers like tourist, traders etc. of Assam and its adjacent states like Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland who would like to avail the services of Mitali Express. Earlier tickets for the Mitali express could be purchased from Kolkata and New Jalpaiguri stations only. Now passengers need not travel all the way to New Jalpaiguri or Kolkata for booking of tickets in the Mitali Express. They can avail the same facility at Guwahati railway station.
It may be mentioned here that, Mitali Express train connecting India-Bangladesh was flagged off on 01st June, 2022. Train No. 13132 New Jalpaiguri – Dhaka Cantonment Mitali Express runs two days a week leaving New Jalpaiguri at 11:45 hours (IST) on every Sunday and Wednesday to reach Dhaka Cantonment at 22:30 hours (BST). In return direction, Train No. 13131 Dhaka Cantonment – New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express also runs two days a week on Monday and Thursday leaving Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST) to reach New Jalpaiguri at 07:15 hours (IST) on Tuesday and Friday.
The overseas counter at Guwahati has been in operation since 27th September, 2022. GST @5% will have to be paid in addition to fare. The exchange price of US $ will be taken as per the existing rate on the very first day of the month of journey. For booking of tickets passengers are requested to carry valid passport and visa.
Haldibari (India)-Chilahati (Bangladesh) Rail Link Reopened
Starting of freight trains via restored Haldibari (India) – Chilahati (Bangladesh) rail link. Around 20 freight trains per month are expected to be interchanged
Indian Railway announced via press release on 02.08.2021 that is a significant step to boost railway connectivity between India and Bangladesh, the Haldibari (India)-Chilahati (Bangladesh) rail link was reopened by both the Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 17th December 2020 for movement of passenger and goods traffic. With the joint efforts of Indian Railways and Bangladesh Railway, India and Bangladesh have started regular operation of freight trains through the restored Haldibari – Chilahati Rail Route w.e.f 1st August 2021 when Indian Railways dispatched the first freight train loaded with stones from Damdim Station of Northeast Frontier Railway (India) to Bangladesh.
The distance between Haldibari Railway Station till the international border is 4.5 km, while that of Chilahati is around 7.5 km. till the ‘zero points’. As of now, five links connecting India with Bangladesh have been made operational which include Petrapole (India) – Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India) – Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India) Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India) – Birol (Bangladesh) with Haldibari-Chilahati forming the 5th such link.
The Haldibari – Chilahati rail link between India and then East Pakistan was operational till 1965. This was part of the Broad Gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during the partition. Trains traveling to Assam and North Bengal continued to travel through the then East Pakistan territory even after partition. However, the war of 1965 effectively cut off all the railway links between India and then East Pakistan.
Around 20 freight trains per month are expected to be interchanged through this rail link. The link is intended to improve freight and passenger connections between Bengal and the Assam and West Bengal regions and will aid the growth of trade and economic development in the region.
Mitali Express : Dhaka Cantonment – New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal : India-Bangladesh Third Passenger Train
‘Mitali Express’ between India and Bangladesh flagged off, Promoting regional connectivity between the two countries
Mitali Express train connecting India-Bangladesh was flagged off on 1st June, 2022 from New Jalpaiguri station. With the running of this train Bangladesh will be directly connected with the Northeast of India through rail.
Apart from boosting the rail connectivity between India and Bangladesh, this train service will provide impetus to socio-economic development between the two countries facilitating movement of goods and passengers across borders and supporting growth and regional trades. This new train will provide the much needed fillip to the tourism sector of India and Bangladesh.This train also offers reliable, affordable and comfortable mode of transport for passengers thus providing ease of accessibility to India and Bangladesh.
Regular Services Details
- Train No. 13132 New Jalpaiguri – Dhaka Cantonment Mitali Express will run two days a week leaving New Jalpaiguri at 11:45 hours (IST) on every Sunday and Wednesday to reach Dhaka Cantonment at 22:30 hours (BST).
- Train No. 13131 Dhaka Cantonment – New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express will also run two days a week on Monday and Thursday from 02nd June, 2022 leaving Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST) to reach New Jalpaiguri at 07:15 hours (IST) on Tuesday and Friday.
- The train will run with four AC 1st Class coaches (cabin seating/sleeper) and four AC chair cars coaches with two luggages cum generator cars.
- There is capacity to accommodate total 456 passengers during journey from New Jalpaiguri. During return journey from Dhaka Cantt station total 408 passengers can travel.
- The fare from New Jalpaiguri in AC 1st Class (sitting only) is 33 US plus taxes and in AC Chair car the fare is 22 US $ plus taxes. During return journey from Dhaka Cantt station the fare will be 44 US $ for AC 1st Class and 22 US $ for AC Chair car. The exchange price of US $ will be taken as per the rate on the very first day of the month in which the ticket is booked.
- On board catering services will be made available in the train on demand. The option for food has to be chosen during ticket booking.
- The tickets for this International train train are available at the overseas PRS counters of New Jalpaiguri and Kolkata Railway Station.
Earlier News
A passenger train service, New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka- New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express was announced jointly by Indian PM and Bangladesh PM during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 27th March’21, service of which could not be started due to Covid Pandemic.
The new inter-country passenger train was launched on the occasion of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s Independence.
The train will run between Dhaka Cantonment and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal via Chilahati, a border railway station in Bangladesh. The distance between Dhaka and Chilahati is 453 km and from Chilahati to New Jalpaiguri is 71 km. The bi-weekly train has 10 coaches — four AC cabins, four AC chairs, and two power car brake vans. It is expected to give a boost to tourism in both countries. The train will run from New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka Cantonment on Sunday and Wednesday and Dhaka Cantonment to New Jalpaiguri on Monday and Thursday. Last year, India and Bangladesh resumed operations on the Haldibari-Chilahati route for goods trains after a gap of over 55 years. The four other rail links that connect the two countries are Petrapole-Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Singhabad-Rohanpur, and Radhikapur-Birol.
Bandhan Express : Khulna – Kolkata : India-Bangladesh Second Passenger Train
Bandhan Express runs between Kolkata Chitpur Railway Station and Khulna Railway Station. The Bandhan Express train is an international express rail service that runs between the Indian city of Kolkata and the Bangladeshi city of Khulna every week. It is the second modern-day, fully air-conditioned passenger train link between the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
This will be the second train to run between the two countries after Maitree Express that runs between Dhaka and Kolkata. The train was inaugurated on November 16, 2017, in a bid to ease communication between the two neighboring countries. Details are following.
Route, Schedule and Time Table of Bandhan Express
- Train No.13129 Kolkata – Khulna Bandhan Express
- Train No.13130 Khulna – Kolkata Bandhan Express
| Train details | Facilities Onboard |
| Travel Time: | 4h 40m |
| Halts: | 3 |
| Distance: | 172 km |
| Avg Speed: | 37 km/hr |
| E-Catering | Yes |
| Mobile/Laptop Charger | Yes |
Train No.13129/ Bandhan Express KOAA/Kolkata – KLN/Khulna Route, Schedule and Time Table:-
| Code | Station Name | Arrives | Departs | Halt |
| KOAA | Kolkata | 07:10:00 | ||
| PTPL | Petrapole | 08:55:00 | 09:05:00 | 10m |
| BEN | Benepole | 09:15:00 | 10:15:00 | 60m |
| KLNB | Khulna | 12:00:00 |
Train No.13130/ Bandhan Express KLN/Khulna – KOAA/Kolkata Route, Schedule and Time Table:-
| Code | Station Name | Arrives | Departs | Halt |
| KLNB | Khulna | 13:30:00 | ||
| BEN | Benepole | 14:45:00 | 16:00:00 | 75m |
| PTPL | Petrapole | 16:10:00 | 16:20:00 | 10m |
| KOAA• | Kolkata• | 18:10:00 |
Bandhan Express to have stoppage at Jashore
Bandhan Express will make a three-minute stoppage at Jashore Railway Junction from Thursday (March 7, 2019), allowing passengers to get on and off the train during their journey to and from Kolkata.
The Bandhan Express is an international passenger train that runs between Kolkata and Khulna once a week from either direction.
- The train reaches Khulna from Kolkata at 12:30pm on Thursday and departs for Kolkata at 1:30pm on the same day. It takes only four and half hours to reach Kolkata from Khulna.
The stoppage of the train at the Jashore station was introduced following a demand by the locals.
Negar Sultana, station master of the Jashore Railway Junction, said the train will stop for three minutes at the station from March 7. They received a letter from Bangladesh Railway West Zone in this regard, she said, adding that the sales of tickets for the journey from the station started on Monday.
A total of 200 seats have been kept aside for the passengers traveling from the station, the station master said. There are 456 seats on the train. The fare of an air-conditioned cabin is Tk 2,000 while an air-conditioned chair is Tk 1,500, including the travel tax.
Maitree Express : Dhaka-Kolkata ~ India-Bangladesh First Passenger Train
Train No.13109 Maitree Express train is the first modern-day, fully air-conditioned, international, express train service connecting Dhaka in Bangladesh to Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It started on 14 April 2008. Tickets are available at the following locations on producing valid visa Dhaka Kamalpur Main Reservation Counter and Kolkata Terminus Railway Station and at International Ticket Booking Counter, Fairlie Place.
The distance between Kolkata and Dhaka is 375km and Maitree Express takes almost 11 hours for the journey. Nearly four of these are spent during checks at Gede and Darsana.
