“Benapole Express” departed from Benapole in Jessore and reached Dhaka last night via Padma Bridge for the first time, becoming the second train to cross the river since the inauguration of the rail link between Dhaka and Faridpur.
Passengers and drivers were excited to witness the first day. The service will be more effective if the railway project between Dhaka and Benapole through Narail is fully launched. Dhaka can be reached in just 3-3.5 hours. It will bring revolutionary changes to business.
Earlier, the train used to travel to Dhaka via Bangabandhu Bridge over the Jamuna River.
The train left for Dhaka with 300 passengers from Benapole railway station at 1pm. On the way, it stopped at Jhikargacha, Jessore, Mobarakganj, Kotchandpur, Darshana, Chuadanga, Poradaha, Kushtia, Rajbari, Faridpur and Bhanga stations.
The Benapole Express left Dhaka at 11:45pm and reached Benapole at 7:20am on Friday. The train will run six days a week, except for Wednesdays, Benapole Station Master Zakir Hossain said.
The fare for the sofa chair from Benapole to Dhaka is Tk480, AC chair Tk920, AC seat Tk1,044 and AC berth Tk1,656.
Earlier, the Sundarban Express left Khulna on its way to Dhaka via Padma Bridge at 10:15pm on Wednesday. It reached Dhaka around 5am.
Master of the Khulna Railway Station Masud Rana said that due to the route change, the number of passengers will increase. The train left Khulna with 225 passengers on its first journey.
The fare from Khulna to Dhaka is Tk500 for Shovon chair, Tk665 for first class seat, Tk995 for first class berth, Tk830 for Snigdha class, Tk995 for AC seat and Tk1,495 for AC berth.
The railway line is being constructed in three parts (plus a 3km link being built between Dhaka and Gandaria): a 37km Gandaria-Mawa section, a 42km Mawa-Bhanga section, and an 87km Bhanga Junction-Jessore section. Some 43.2km of loops, siding and Y-connections bring the total track length to 215.2km.
The entire railway project from Dhaka to Jessore is scheduled to be completed by June 2024.
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