Indo-Bangla container train trial run begins

Kolkata: The trial run for the first-ever container train service between India and Bangladesh was held on Tuesday. 

Manasi Banerjee, one of the senior-most employees of Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR) flagged off the trial run at the Container Terminus at Remount Road in presence of Eastern Railway general manager Harindra Rao and CONCOR CMD Kalyan Rama.

Mr Rao said that while the passenger and goods trains services are being regularly running between two countries, this is for the first time that a container train from India will run between India and Bangladesh. 

The need for container service between these two countries has acutely been felt by the exporters as container service has certain benefits— substantial time saving, safe transit, cost effectiveness and single window solution, he added. 

It will also make trade more safer and significantly organised in comparison to capacity constraints of the sea and land routes, Mr Rao underlined noting that the container service would have wider impact in the bilateral trade and it would lead to further accelerating the peace and harmony of these two neighbouring countries. 

The first container train to Bangladesh consisting 30 wagons, carrying 60 containers of soyabean extract, will run via Majerhat-Naihati-Ranaghat-Gede in India and Darsana-Ishurdi-Bangabandhu West in Bangladesh. 

Bangabandhu West, located around 117 km from Dhaka. is closer to industrial hubs around Dhaka.