New intercity train on Dhaka-Jamalpur route from January

The government is going to introduce a new intercity train on Dhaka-Jamalpur route in January, three months after Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan gave its announcement.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the train through video conference on January 26 next year, Mia Jahan, additional director general of Bangladesh Railway, told The Daily Star yesterday.

He also said the prime minister will also inaugurate 31km rail line from Faridpur to Bhanga and 53km from Pabna to Dhalarchar, and 14 new coaches of Udayan-Paharika Express on Chattogram-Sylhet route on that day.

The railways minister on Sunday told reporters that they had sent the proposals to the Prime Minister’s Office. Mia Jahan said the premier approved those yesterday.

However, the new train’s name has not been fixed yet. They have proposed some names -- including Malancha, Rangdhanu and Jamalpur Express -- and the name will be selected soon, said Mia Jahan.

The new train will ply Dhaka-Bangabandhu Bridge East Station-Jamalpur-Tarakandi route. Four intercity trains now operate on Dhaka-Jamalapur route but all of those go to Jamalapur via Mymensingh, according to BR.

So, travel time from Dhaka to Jamalpur will reduce once the new train is introduced, said a railway official.

While visiting Jamalpur in early October, the railways minister declared that a new train would be launched on Dhaka-Jamalpur route soon.

This year, BR introduced four trains on different routes.

It launched “Banalata Express”, a nonstop intercity train service, on Dhaka-Rajshahi route in April. Later, the train service was extended up to Chapainawabganj.

A month later, a semi-nonstop intercity train service -- “Panchagarh Express” -- was launched between Dhaka and Panchagarh. “Benapole Express” was launched in July on Dhaka-Benapole route while “Kurigram Express” on Dhaka-Kurigram route was launched in October.