For Gopalganj residents who have waited years for a direct train to the capital, marked the end of a long journey — but the new service has arrived with a catch: its evening schedule.
The Abhijatri Commuter made its first trip from Dhaka to Gopalganj on Monday, opening a direct rail link between the district and the capital through the Padma Bridge rail route.
The train left Kamalapur Railway Station at 3:30pm and reached Gopalganj at 7:10pm. After a brief reception at Gopalganj Railway Station, it departed for Dhaka at 8:05pm.
The service will run six days a week, except Saturday, with 609 seats. The fare from Gopalganj to Dhaka has been set at Tk145, while the journey takes around three and a half hours.
Under the regular schedule, the train will leave Dhaka at 3:30pm and reach Gopalganj at 6:45pm. It will leave Gopalganj at 7:15pm and reach Dhaka around 10:30pm, stopping at nine stations.
The launch drew crowds to Gopalganj Railway Station, where residents gathered to witness a rail connection they had been waiting years for.
For many, the low-cost service is expected to ease travel to Dhaka for education, healthcare, business and employment. But passengers say the evening schedule limits its usefulness, particularly for students, traders and women.
Md Zakir Hossain of Khatia Garh Union in Gopalganj Sadar travelled to Dhaka with his wife on the inaugural train.
“We are extremely happy and excited that train service from Gopalganj to Dhaka has finally started after such a long wait,” he said.
But he urged the authorities to introduce a morning service.
“This is not just my demand; it is the long-standing expectation of the people of Gopalganj,” Hossain said.
Shabnur Khanom, a third-year honours student at Gopalganj Government College, said the train would significantly reduce travel costs for students.
“We often have to travel to Dhaka for job examinations and other purposes. A bus journey costs around Tk500, while the train fare is only Tk145,” she said.
She said a morning service would allow students to reach Dhaka earlier and reduce the risk of missing examinations because of traffic congestion.
For fish trader Motaleb Fakir, the timing is an even bigger concern.
“If the train left Gopalganj around 7am, we could take fish and other fresh produce to Dhaka and return the same day,” he said, adding that an evening service could force traders to stay overnight in Dhaka and incur additional costs.
Gopalganj Railway Station Master Ratna Baidya said the 609-seat service would operate six days a week and provide an affordable travel option for people heading to Dhaka.
The railway project connecting Gopalganj was taken up in 2010. The Rajbari-Gopalganj-Tungipara railway line was inaugurated in November 2018 after construction and renovation work costing around Tk2,110 crore.
Despite the railway infrastructure, Gopalganj had no direct passenger train to Dhaka.
That changed after the Dhaka-Bhanga railway line opened in December 2024 under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, creating the opportunity for a direct connection.
With Monday’s launch of the Abhijatri Commuter, Gopalganj has finally gained that long-awaited link — though passengers are already asking for a timetable that works better for them.
