BSS photo Train communication on 138.64-km long Benapole-Mongla route began operations on Saturday, carrying 600 passengers on its inaugural journey.
People from all walks of life celebrated as the passenger train decorated with colourful ribbon, festoons departed for Mongla port at around 10 am, reaching Mongla via Khulna's Phultala at approximately 2.05pm.
Bangladesh Railway Additional General Manager Ahmed Masum said the commuter train will operate daily, except on Tuesdays.
Railway engineer Sadekur Rahman, chief commercial officer Sujit kumar Biswas, Superintendent Ahmed Ullah and traffic inspector Aungshuman Chowdhury, among others, were present at the station.
Khulna Mongla Port Railway Project Director Md Arifuzzaman said: "The Betna Express train left the Benapole station around 10.00am and reached the Mongla station around 2.05pm. This marks the inauguration of official train movement on this route."
Earlier, necessary preparations, including hiring permanent manpower, have been completed to launch passenger trains, he said.
The train schedule of Betna Express 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 Tuesday.
The 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 Tk 1,721 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 cores, 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 fulfill a long-cherished 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.
