India, Bangladesh Set to Discuss Resuming Cross-Border Passenger Trains

The annual Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM) between India and Bangladesh begins in Dhaka on Tuesday, with the revival of three suspended cross-border passenger services high on the agenda. This marks the first formal discussion on the matter since railway operations were halted in 2024 due to security concerns in Bangladesh.

The meeting will focus on the process of restarting the Maitree Express (Kolkata-Dhaka), Bandhan Express (Kolkata-Khulna), and Mitali Express (New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka). Sources indicate that if a resolution is reached, services could resume as early as next month.

The Maitree Express, the first international train between the two nations, covers roughly 375-400 km in about nine hours via the Gede-Darshana border. The Bandhan Express runs a 180 km route in five and a half hours through the Petrapole-Benapole crossing. The Mitali Express, inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in 2021, travels nearly 600 km in about 11 hours via the Haldibari-Chilahati border.

The Mitali Express rake was stranded in Bangladesh for over five months during the political unrest in 2024. It departed New Jalpaiguri on July 17 but could not return until December, amid heightened security.

Bangladesh is also expected to propose a new passenger service from Rajshahi to Kolkata and suggest re-routing the Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express via the Padma Bridge. Freight transit and stalled railway projects funded by Indian loans, including new lines from Kamalapur to Joydebpur, will also be discussed.

Separately, India is supplying new rolling stock to Bangladesh. The first rake of 19 LHB broad-gauge coaches has been rolled out from the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, Punjab. Under a Rs 915 crore deal financed by the European Investment Bank, Bangladesh will import 200 coaches, with deliveries expected between June 2026 and December 2027.