Barisal Express

The Barishal Express was a railway train that was one of three train services running between India and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan).^[1]

History[]

The Barishal Express launched in 1884.^[2] The train connected the Indian city of Kolkata (then Calcutta) with the city of Khulna in Bangladesh.^[1] The railway link was suspended at the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.^[1] In 1972, the route reopened for 2 years for goods train service.^[2]

An agreement was signed between India and Bangladesh in July 2000 to re-establish the train link. Feasibility studies had been going on since 1994.^[2] The Bandhan Express is a new train recreating this route in the 21st century.^[3]^[4]^[5] The immigration checks have been moved to Calcutta train station to avoid losing hours waiting at the border.^[6]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c Thapliyal, Sangeeta. "India–Bangladesh Transportation Links: A Move for Closer Cooperation". Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c Haroon Habib (21 January 2001). "India, Bangladesh reintroduce rail link". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
^ "Maitree Express-II chugged across India, Bangladesh border amid cheers, applause". Firstpost. Indo-Asian News Service. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
^ "Sheikh Hasina visit: Maitree Express to be made fully AC, new passenger service to be announced". The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
^ "Prime Minister of India & Prime Minister of Bangladesh Jointly along with Chief Minister, West Bengal Flag off New Cross-Border Train between India & Bangladesh, "Kolkata–Khulna Bandhan Express" from Kolkata through Video Confencing". Press Information Bureau, Government of India, Ministry of Railways. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
^ "Train to Khulna chugs out after 52 years". The Telegraph. Calcutta. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.

Railways in Eastern India

National network/
trunk lines

Other lines/sections

Interstate	Asansol–Gaya section Asansol–Patna section Asansol–Tatanagar–Kharagpur line Barauni–Gorakhpur, Raxaul and Jainagar lines Barkakana–Son Nagar line Barsoi–New Farakka section Barsoi–Radhikapur branch line Dumka–Bhagalpur line Gaya–Mughalsarai section Hatia–Rourkela line Jasidih–Dumka–Rampurhat line Jharsuguda–Vizianagaram line Katihar–Siliguri line Kharagpur–Puri line Khurda Road–Visakhapatnam section Kothavalasa–Kirandul line New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar–Samuktala Road line New Jalpaiguri–New Bongaigaon section Tatanagar–Bilaspur section
Bihar	Bakhtiyarpur–Tilaiya line Barauni–Katihar section Barauni–Samastipur section Fatuha–Tilaiya line Gaya–Kiul line Kothavalasa–Kirandul line Mokama–Barauni section Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur line (via Hajipur, Raxaul and Sitamarhi) Muzaffarpur–Gorakhpur main line Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi section Muzaffarpur–Hajipur section Narkatiaganj–Bhikhna Thori branch line Neora–Jatdumari–Daniyawan–Bihar Sharif–Sheikhpura line Patna–Gaya line Patna–Mughalsarai section Patna–Sonepur–Hajipur section Samastipur–Muzaffarpur section
Jharkhand	Barkakana–Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh line Barkakana–Muri–Chandil line Dhanbad–Chandrapura line Railways in Jharia Coalfield Koderma–Hazaribagh–Barkakana–Ranchi line Madhupur–Giridih–Koderma line Netaji S.C.Bose Gomoh–Hatia line
Odisha	Khurda Road–Bolangir line Cuttack–Sambalpur line
West Bengal	Ahmadpur–Katwa line Alipurduar–Bamanhat branch line Andal–Sainthia branch line Andal–Sitarampur loop line Bandel–Katwa line Bankura–Masagram line Bardhaman–Asansol section Bardhaman–Katwa line Barharwa–Azimganj–Katwa loop Calcutta Chord link line Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Eklakhi–Balurghat branch line Haldibari–New Jalpaiguri line Howrah–Bardhaman main line Howrah–Bardhaman chord Howrah–Kharagpur line Kharagpur–Bankura–Adra line Kolkata Circular Railway New Mal–Changrabandha–New Cooch Behar line Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City–Lalgola line Santragachi–Amta branch line Sealdah–Ranaghat–Gede line Sealdah–Bangaon line Sealdah Main and North section Sealdah South section Sheoraphuli–Bishnupur branch line

Suburban
rail transport

Monorail

Defunct lines

Revived/ Under revival	Ahmedpur–Katwa Railway Bankura–Damodar Railway Barasat–Basirhat Light Railway Burdwan–Katwa Railway Bakhtiarpur–Bihar Light Railway Futwah–Islampur Light Railway
Inactive	Bengal Provincial Railway East Coast State Railway Kalighat Falta Railway Mayurbhanj State Railway Dehri Rohtas Light Railway Patna–Digha Ghat line

Zones & Divisions

Eastern	Asansol Howrah Malda Sealdah
East Central	Danapur Dhanbad Mughalsarai Samastipur Sonpur
East Coast	Sambalpur Khurda Road Waltair
North Eastern	Varanasi
Northeast Frontier	Katihar Alipurduar
South Eastern	Adra Chakradharpur Kharagpur Ranchi

Production units/
workshops

Transit points
with Bangladesh

Active	Haldibari–Chilahati Singhabad–Rohanpur Radhikapur–Biral Gede–Darshana Petrapole–Benapole
Defunct	Mahisasan–Shahbajpur Changrabandha–Burimari Gitaldaha–Mogalhat

Indian railheads
near India–Nepal border

Railway companies

Barisal Express

History[]

See also[]

References[]