Freight train services between Bangladesh and India have resumed after nearly nine months

DHAKA : Mohammad Ziaur Rahman, the station superintendent of Dinajpur Railway Station, confirmed the news on Thursday at around 10:30pm that, after nearly nine months, a freight train carrying goods has arrived at the Birol corridor in Dinajpur via Rail from India.

According to railway authorities, train services for both passengers and freight between the two countries were suspended in July last year due to the political situation in Bangladesh.

However, freight train operations through the Radhikapur-Birol border had already been halted in May last year due to a lack of demand.

Sangeet Dutta, the station master of Radhikapur Railway Station, said that the train service has resumed after a long break. The freight train, consisting of 46 wagons, arrived at Birol Railway Station carrying dust powder used in making ceramic plates.

According to railway authorities, there are a total of five inter-country rail corridors connecting Bangladesh and India: Darshana-Gede, Benapole-Petrapole, Rohanpur-Singhabad, Birol-Radhikapur, and Chilahati-Haldibari. All of these corridors fall within the Indian state of West Bengal.

Through these corridors, Bangladesh imports various goods from West Bengal and surrounding regions, including construction materials, stone, stone chips, poultry feed DOC, molasses, fly ash (used in cement production), rice, and motor vehicles such as tractors.

Freight trains typically operated with 42 to 46 wagons. Each wagon carried 32 metric tonnes, allowing a single train to transport 1,200 and 1,250 tonnes of goods at a time.

Rail-based freight transport has helped overcome major logistical challenges for both countries and has also reduced transportation costs.

Goods are imported into Bangladesh from India via rail, but no exports take place in the opposite direction.