India and Bangladesh agreed to launch a direct passenger train service between Dhaka and Kolkata soon, more than 40 years after suspension of the rail link between the two countries.

Officials of the two countries decided that the service “will be launched within next four weeks” as the meeting between the two sides on the proposed Dhaka-Kolkata train, Bangladesh Railway spokesman Shafique Khan said.

He said Bangladeshi officials would go to Kolkata on July 29 on-board the inter-country Moitree Express in another trial run. “The spokesman said the two sides initially decided that one train from both, Dhaka and Kolkata, would ply up-down between the two cities in a total of four trips in the initial days while the frequency would be increased with further development of infrastructures.

The meeting, he said, agreed that Bangladesh would accomplish the customs and other formalities at the originating Dhaka Cantonment Station while India would do it at the border of the two countries.

The 14-member Indian delegation was led by additional home secretary A.E. Ahmed and the Bangladesh side was headed by communication ministry’s additional secretary A.T.M. Ismail.

The spokesman said the meeting decided to settle the remaining issues, including security matters, when the Bangladesh officials would reach Kolkata in another trial run of the train to the West Bengal capital on July 29.

Bangladesh Railway officials earlier said they expected the service to be launched by mid August.

The first train from the West Bengal capital reached recently on a trial-run carrying 14-member Indian delegation for the two-day talks.

Officials said the two sides would require a consensus on the frequency of the inter-country Moitree Express as India insisted it be operated once a week while Bangladesh wanted it to ply three days to make it commercially viable.

“We also want the immigration and custom formalities to be accomplished at the originating stations to save journey time and make it comfortable while our Indian counterparts suggested it be done at Gede, the Indian side of the border,” a railway official said, on condition of anonymity.

The Indian delegation also proposed erection of box-type fencing along the 150 metre route on the international border and immigration point. Officials earlier said there would be three categories of fares of $8, $12 and $20 with Bangladesh keeping 78 per cent of the revenue while India getting the rest, as the distance between Sealdah and the Bangladesh border is 120 kms while the length of the rail track in Bangladesh territory is 418 kms. The proposed service comprises chair coaches of economy class (Shovon class), air-conditioned first class and air-conditioned sleeping class along with a power car, one buffet car and a prayer car. Passenger carriages of the train were imported from Indonesia but they were assembled in Bangladesh’s Saidpur Railway Workshop to run between Dhaka and Kolkata.

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