Deal on Dhaka-Kolkata rail service by Apr 14

Bangladesh and India yesterday finalised all technical issues including schedules and fare for the Dhaka-Kolkata passenger train service ahead of its scheduled launching on April 14.
“The formal agreement in this regard will be signed anytime before Pahela Baishakh,” ATKM Ismail, additional secretary of the communications ministry, told newsmen.
Ismail led the six-member Bangladesh delegation to the two-day long inter-governmental meeting between the rail officials of the two countries that concluded at the Rail Bhaban in the city yesterday.
“We've tied up all loose ends, and are now completely ready for the start of the train service,” said RN Varma, additional member (traffic) of the Indian Railway Board, who led the seven-member Indian delegation.
The Moitree (friendship) Express will operate weekly between the Cantonment Railway Station in Dhaka and Chitpur station in Kolkata through the Darshana border.
The train will leave Dhaka at 8:30am every Saturday, returning the next day while the train from Kolkata will start for Dhaka at 7:10am (local time) on Saturday and return on Sunday.
It will carry 418 passengers on the Dhaka-Kolkata route while it will carry 366 passengers on the Kolkata-Dhaka route. The fare has been fixed at US$ 8 per person for economy class and US$ 12 per person for a seat in the air-conditioned compartment. A sleeping berth will cost $20.
Tickets will be available only from Kamalapur Railway Station and can be purchased only after showing passport and visa, Ismail said, dispelling any doubts of ticket sales on the black market.
Passengers will be allowed to carry 35kilograms while a child below 5 years of age can carry 20kg without any charge.
Moitree Express will also have an on board catering service.
There will be a routine engine check-up at Darshana during the 13 to 14 hour long journey over 538km of which 418km stretches across Bangladesh and 120km across India.
Also due to different signalling systems in the two countries, local locomasters will drive the train when it crosses borders. The crew change will take place at Darshana and Gede stations.
Passengers will need to pass through an immigration counter and customs at Darshana border.
Asked about a specific date for the signing of the deal, ATKM Ismail said though a date is yet to be fixed, it will be completed before April 14.
Joint Secretary (rail) of the communications ministry, Shafiz Uddin Ahmed, is expected to sign the deal on behalf of Bangladesh.
The two-day biannual meeting between rail officials chiefly concentrated on details of the Dhaka-Kolkata train service, but also discussed interchange of goods train at Benapole, running of the container service, rail linking of Agartala and Akhaura, outstanding claims of the Indian Railway and wagon hire charges.
The next bilateral meeting between the rail officials will be held in New Delhi in October this year.