Hyderabad: The Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives to neighbouring Bangladesh at Rail Bhavan, New Delhi on Tuesday.
Addressing the gathering virtually, the minister said that the move will improve the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh.
“These locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh,” he said.
The minister informed that Geda- Darsana. Benapol- Petrapol, Singhabal Rolapur, Radhikapur- Birol and Haldari-Chilahti operate on live BG connectivity. Two additional cross-border rail connectivities – Akbaura-Agartala and Mahihasan-Shabbazpur – will be commissioned shortly.
Expressing gratitude, Bangladesh Railway Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujon said, “We express our heartfelt gratitude to India for providing broad gauge locomotives. The supply of locomotives will help to improve both goods and passenger trains. We hope that existing collaboration between two countries regarding the railway’s sector will increase day by day.”
Currently, three passenger trains – Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express, Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express and New Jalpaiguri Dhaka Mirali Express – between the two counties are running.
