Bangladesh and India aim to restart cross-border trains by October

Bangladesh and India are working to revive the Maitree, Mitali and Bandhan Express trains, which have been out of service since a July 2024 suspension. A two-day meeting of railway authorities will begin in Dhaka, aiming to set a timeline for resumption by October. Dinesh Trivedi, the Indian high commissioner, stressed that the rail links are vital for bilateral people-to-people connections and mentioned a pending visit by Bangladesh's prime minister.

In addition to restarting the existing services, Bangladesh will suggest a new Rajshahi-Kolkata train and seeks to operate the Maitree Express over the recently opened Padma Bridge, replacing the former Jamuna Bridge route. The discussions come as normalcy returns to Bangladesh following the political shift after August 2024. Successful restoration could boost travel, trade and regional integration between the two countries.