Arindam Sarkar
It began with a once a week service between Kolkata and Dhaka. Now, Moitree Express connects Kolkata in India and Dhaka in Bangladesh four times a week.
On April 14, 2008, Moitree Express joined league with several
other cross-border passenger and goods trains that are plying across two
countries – and different continents.
Closer home, Samjhauta Express and Thar Express are running on the Western Front of the country between India and Pakistan. In the recent past, train services have been resumed between North Korea and South Korea.
And in Europe, the Eurostar is running through the tunnel under the English Channel and connecting England with the rest of Europe.
The train services from East Bengal (present Bangladesh) to Bengal in India began in the early 1920s and continued till 1965. Then the service was terminated.
The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War destroyed the train communication link. And post-war efforts to start the train service failed to take off for many decades.
In 1996, with the coming of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League Government in power in Bangladesh, fresh efforts were made to resume the service. But it was delayed, as infrastructure was not in place. The rail links between Jessore and Bongaon was badly damaged.
However, by the end of Sheikh Hasina’s term, the then Indian Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee restored the plying off goods train service via Petrapole in Bongaon and Benapole in Bangladesh in January 2001.
History records that India and Bangladesh signed an agreement on July 12, 2001, to resume direct train service between Dhaka and Kolkata, initially for three years. This agreement has been renewed and the duration of the train service has been extended up to 2010 during the visit of the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka.
On January 16, 2004, India and Pakistan made history when it resumed passenger train services – Samjhauta Express – between New Delhi and Lahore. The train service was resumed after 41 years.
The Train to Pakistan was born out of an accord signed between former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 at Simla.
Samjhauta Express ran uninterruptedly from June 1976 to early 1984. Thereafter, it has stopped several times on its tracks. The train service was suspended for a fortnight during Operation Bluestar. Services were again briefly terminated during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
From January 2002 to January 2004, Samjhauta Express service was terminated following the attack on Indian Parliament and cross-border infiltration and militancy.
On February 18, 2006, India and Pakistan resumed the oldest cross- border train service – Thar Express. Plying over the western deserts, Thar Express connects Jodhpur in Rajasthan with Karachi in Pakistan.
Munabao in Barmar district and Kokhrapar in the Sindh province are the two last railway stations of India and Pakistan respectively. Barmar and Mirpur Khas are the customs and immigration check stations on Indian and Pakistan sides respectively.
Somewhere else in Asia, on December 2007, history was made across the tense Korean border at Kaesong when both North Korea and South Korean ran the first goods train service. Now efforts are on to run passenger service across the border that chilled after the 1950-53 Korean War.
The train service is perceived as one of the tangible results of the October 2007 Summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong II and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
And last but not the least is the Eurostar service that began between London and Paris on November 17, 2007. Running through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed I), Eurostar connects London with Paris in little over two hours.
From Paris, Eurostar travels to Toulouse, Avignon, Strasbourg and Brussels in Belgium.
Closer home, Samjhauta Express and Thar Express are running on the Western Front of the country between India and Pakistan. In the recent past, train services have been resumed between North Korea and South Korea.
And in Europe, the Eurostar is running through the tunnel under the English Channel and connecting England with the rest of Europe.
The train services from East Bengal (present Bangladesh) to Bengal in India began in the early 1920s and continued till 1965. Then the service was terminated.
The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War destroyed the train communication link. And post-war efforts to start the train service failed to take off for many decades.
In 1996, with the coming of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League Government in power in Bangladesh, fresh efforts were made to resume the service. But it was delayed, as infrastructure was not in place. The rail links between Jessore and Bongaon was badly damaged.
However, by the end of Sheikh Hasina’s term, the then Indian Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee restored the plying off goods train service via Petrapole in Bongaon and Benapole in Bangladesh in January 2001.
History records that India and Bangladesh signed an agreement on July 12, 2001, to resume direct train service between Dhaka and Kolkata, initially for three years. This agreement has been renewed and the duration of the train service has been extended up to 2010 during the visit of the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka.
On January 16, 2004, India and Pakistan made history when it resumed passenger train services – Samjhauta Express – between New Delhi and Lahore. The train service was resumed after 41 years.
The Train to Pakistan was born out of an accord signed between former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 at Simla.
Samjhauta Express ran uninterruptedly from June 1976 to early 1984. Thereafter, it has stopped several times on its tracks. The train service was suspended for a fortnight during Operation Bluestar. Services were again briefly terminated during the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.
From January 2002 to January 2004, Samjhauta Express service was terminated following the attack on Indian Parliament and cross-border infiltration and militancy.
On February 18, 2006, India and Pakistan resumed the oldest cross- border train service – Thar Express. Plying over the western deserts, Thar Express connects Jodhpur in Rajasthan with Karachi in Pakistan.
Munabao in Barmar district and Kokhrapar in the Sindh province are the two last railway stations of India and Pakistan respectively. Barmar and Mirpur Khas are the customs and immigration check stations on Indian and Pakistan sides respectively.
Somewhere else in Asia, on December 2007, history was made across the tense Korean border at Kaesong when both North Korea and South Korean ran the first goods train service. Now efforts are on to run passenger service across the border that chilled after the 1950-53 Korean War.
The train service is perceived as one of the tangible results of the October 2007 Summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong II and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
And last but not the least is the Eurostar service that began between London and Paris on November 17, 2007. Running through the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (High Speed I), Eurostar connects London with Paris in little over two hours.
From Paris, Eurostar travels to Toulouse, Avignon, Strasbourg and Brussels in Belgium.
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