The “Mongla Commuter” train embarked on its maiden journey from Benapole at 10am on Saturday and headed towards Mongla.
This 138km railway connects the country's major land port, Benapole, with the Mongla seaport.
A passenger, Jahangir Alam, said: "The demand for train connection on the Benapole-Mongla route is long-standing. I'm heading to Mongla from Benapole today (Saturday) and feeling great.”
Benapole Station Master Saiduzzaman said that Betna Express used to ply the Khulna-Benapole route twice daily. The train that left Benapole on Saturday morning will go to Mongla at 12:30pm via Mohammadnagar in Khulna. Then it will leave Mongla at 1pm and reach Benapole at 4:30pm.
The last train will leave Benapole at 5pm and reach Khulna at 7:30pm. Other than Tuesday, the train will run once on this route at the same time on other days of the week, he added.
A local train named Betna Express runs from Khulna to Benapole via Jessore. That train will travel from Phultala Junction in Khulna towards Mongla on the way back from Benapole. At that time, the train from Phultala to Mongla will be named “Mongla Commuter”. Only one train, the Mongla Commuter, will ply this new route.
The train schedule is as follows: it will leave Khulna at 6:15am, reach Benapole at 8:30am, then leave Benapole via Phultala and arrive in Mongla at 12:35pm. On its way from Phultala, the Mongla Commuter will stop at Mohammadnagar, Katakhali, and Chulkati Bazar railway stations. The train will depart from Mongla at 1pm and reach Benapole at 4:30pm. Trains are closed weekly on Tuesdays.
Trains to begin running on Khulna-Mongla route on SaturdayThe Khulna-Mongla railway project was initiated in 2010 and approved by the National Economic Council Executive Committee (Ecnec). The project has been implemented in three phases.
The total length of the railway track, including the main line, is 86.87km, with 64.75km of broad gauge railway. A 5.13km railway bridge has been constructed over the Rupsa River. The project's initial cost, including land acquisition, railway line, and bridge construction, was estimated at Tk1,721 crore.
In 2015, the revised development project proposal increased to Tk3,801.61 crore. Both time and cost were extended again in 2021, with the final cost standing at Tk4,260.88 crore, and the project's completion date extended to March 31, 2024.
The project includes a 5.13km bridge over the Rupsa River, 64km of track from Phultala to Mongla, a 91km road including double lines at stations, nine platforms, 107 small bridges, and nine underpasses. Signalling and telecommunication works have also been completed.
Mongla, the country's second-largest seaport, was established on December 1, 1950. The port is located at the confluence of the Pasur and Mongla rivers, 48km south of Khulna city in Bagerhat district.
The commencement of train services on this route will fulfil a long-held dream of the people in this region. It will also enable traders to transport goods through Mongla Port quickly and at a lower cost, significantly enhancing transportation facilities.
This marks the first time in 73 years that Mongla, the second largest seaport in Bangladesh, will be connected by rail.
On November 1, 2023, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the railway line virtually.
A trial run from Phultala to Mongla was conducted on October 30, 2023.
