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Dhaka-Kolkata Train Service

Some technical issues yet to be resolved

Says Indian team leader

UNB, Dhaka
The much-awaited Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train service is likely to kick-start on April 14 (Pahela Baishakh) as the two sides talked on a positive note about the formal run of the Moitree Express on the first day of the Bangla New Year.
Rail officials of Bangladesh and India expressed their optimism about commissioning the cross-border train service on April 14 after the first day’s meeting yesterday.
The two-day bilateral talks between Bangladesh and Indian railway delegations began at the Rail Bhaban, trying to set the stage for operating the two-way friendship train service through restoration of one of the missing links.
ATKM Ismail, additional secretary of the communications ministry, is heading a six-member Bangladesh side and RN Varma, additional member (traffic) of the Indian Railway Board, leading his country's seven-member delegation to the talks.
At the end of the first-day meeting. Ismail told reporters that the Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train must start rolling on Pahela Baishakh and they were trying to resolve the unsettled issues before the envisaged date.
"We are taking all-out preparation for starting the train from Pahela Baishakh. An agreement between the two countries would be signed in the next 12 days to the Bangla New Year,” he said. Indian delegation leader RN Varma told the reporters that they are very much confident about starting train from April 14 and for this they are in Dhaka. "Our target is 14th April, and we are working towards the target We are on the right track.”
Varma, however, wouldn't say for sure that April 14 is the date for commissioning the train. He said both the governments and the railway authorities are making efforts, but "some technical issues are yet to be resolved”.
Ismail informed that the Moitree Express with a capacity of 410 passengers would run between Dhaka and Kolkata through Darshana border, once a week from both sides, and it would be a 13 to 14 hours' travel.
Train will leave Dhaka for Kolkata on Saturdays and start the return journey on Sundays. Another train will leave Kolkata on Saturdays and return on Sundays. The train will start from botli sides at 8:30am (BST).
On the Indian side were Suchitto Das, AK Singh, Naresh Salecha, P Gupta and Aseem Mahajan while from Bangladesh side Safiz Uddin Ahmed, joint secretary of the communication ministry and M Sarwar Mahamood, director of the foreign ministry.
The meeting will conclude today and the next meeting will be held in New Delhi in October.