Bandhan Express makes its first commercial run

Staff Correspondent, Khulna: The newly-inaugurated Bandhan Express began its first commercial service between Kolkata and Khulna on Thursday morning.

The train is expected to reach Khulna Station at 12:00pm (Bangladesh time).

Earlier, it left Kolkata Railway Station at 7:10 (local time and 7:40am Bangladesh time).

After a break of 1.20 hours, the train will leave Khulna for Kolkata again at 1:20pm (Bangladesh time).

Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla is scheduled to board the very first train to Kolkata from Khulna rail station today.

Meanwhile some 326 tickets were sold for Kolkata from Khulna by the train while 130 are in waiting to be sold. Tickets will be available till an hour before the journey starts.

Asim Kumar Talukdar, Divisional Manager of Bangladesh Railway (Pakshi), confirmed the news.

He said, "Bandhan Express will have 10 coaches. Except the two coaches of engine and powercar,  there will be eight coaches for passenger service which will contain 456 seats. Of the seats, 144  are in cabins and 312 chairs.

The seat fare has been fixed Tk 2000 for cabin and 1,500 for chair for the long 175 kilometer journey.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Indian PM Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee jointly flagged off Kolkata-Khulna train through a video conference on November 9.

The fully air-conditioned weekly passenger train service will run every Thursday from both Kolkata and Khulna.

risingbd/Khulna/November 16, 2017/Muhammad Nuruzaman/A K Azad