DHAKA: The Dhaka-Kolkata route Moitree Express failed to satisfy the demands of the passengers. Insufficient trip frequency, the pressure of excess passengers, sufferings in ticket procuring, hassles at immigration and customs checking have become a regular feature in this train route.

At present, there are two trips weekly which cannot fulfill the demands of the passengers. The passengers want that the train should run six days in a week. That will bring relief to the passengers. 

There are 326 seats in the six coaches on the Bangladesh part. Of those only there are 36 AC cabin, 80 AC chair-coach and 210 non-AC chair coach.

On the other hand, on the Indian part with big compartments there are 27 AC cabins, 73 AC chair-coach and 286 non-AC seats.  

But the number of intending passengers is higher and many are not getting tickets standing in long queue.

Passengers prefer this rout for comfortable journey at a minimum cost. But due to compartment limitations, capacity could not be increased. So there is demand for running the Moitree Express six days in a week.

It is learnt that the authority is not in a position to increase the number of compartments to tackle the passengers. In the meantime, orders for 120 new coaches were placed to India but it will take at least 2-3 years to get, sources informed. 

However, the chief mechanical engineer of northern zone railway Harun-ar-Rashid told, “If we get orders we can renovate old coaches fit for Moitree Express.” 

It is learnt that previously old coaches were refurbished at Syedpur and Pahartoli but now no work is done there except special orders.

On last Sunday morning while visiting Kamalapur railway station it was found that about 5-6 passengers are waiting for Moitree tickets when one female official told that there is no ticket till June 25. Not only AC tickets even non-AC tickets are not available.

The lucky people who are getting tickets they are taking the long 375 kilometers Dhaka-Kolkata 10-hour journey along with the hassles of immigration and customs checking at Drashana-Gede.

On Friday evening it was found at Cantonment station that the train of 6:10pm has reached at 8:00pm. Few passengers informed that immigration and checking time at Gede was half an hour and once again half an hour late at Darshana.

Those passengers think that if immigration and customs formalities could be done in the train then they might have saved extra three hours time.

Practically the visiting passengers, especially medical treatment seekers and business people prefer this route for economic and comfortable ground because air journey is costly and bus journey is hazardous. 

The fare of Moitree non-AC coach is Tk. 660, Tk. 1,133 of AC chair coach and AC cabin fair is Tk. 1,886. In the single AC cabin there are 3 seats and in the double cabin it has capacity of 6 people. There is extreme demand of AC service.

The Moitree leaves Dhaka Cantonment station on Wednesday and Friday at 8:10am and suppose to reach Kolkata at 6:10pm. 

It leaves Chitpur station of Kolkata on Tuesday and Saturday at 7:10am in the morning and reaches Cantonment of Dhaka at 6:10pm in the evening. 

The tickets in Kolkata are sold at Chitpur railway station and Fairlyplace of Dalhoushi square. In Bangladesh those are sold at Kamalapur railway station and Chittagong railway station. But the ticket holders of both procured from Dhaka and Chittagong are to board the train from Cantonment station. 

The trial train route of Dhaka-Kolkata was introduced on July 8 of 2007. Some Indian officials boarding that trial train came to Dhaka and had discussed with Bangladesh government on the initiation of Moitree Express. For security reason at Darsana-Gede points ‘Box fencing’ were set up on no-mans land.

On April 14, 2008 which was also Bengali ‘New Year’ day Moitree Express started its journey. On the day one train left Chitpur of Kolkata enroute to Dhaka while the other left Cantonment station towards Kolkata.

On the maiden start of Moitree there were a total of 65 passengers against 360 seats of both sides of the train. Most of the passengers were journalists. They took up the journey on professional ground for collecting news. The then Indian railway Minister Lalu Prashad Jadav inaugurated the moving of Moitree.

Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyo Ranjan Das Munshi, West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Liaquat Ali Chowdhury were present in the inaugural function. 

BDST: 1625 HRS, JUN 10, 2014