Commercial train operation over Padma Bridge begins

Passengers of the Sundarban Express expressed their excitement when they crossed the Padma Bridge – from Khulna to Dhaka – early Thursday.

It was the first commercial train operation on the bridge.

Sundarban Express left Khulna around 9:45pm last night and reached Dhaka at 5:10am this morning.

Khulna Rail Station Master Masud Rana said that Sundarban Express reached Dhaka via Padma Bridge through Poradaha, Rajbari, Faridpur and Bhanga with 225 passengers.

The number of passengers will increase with the change of route, he said.

Sources said Sundarban Express with 13 coaches will run on this route every day. The number of seats on the train is 860. Of them, 492 are Shobhan chairs, 48 AC Berth, and 320 are Snigdha seats.

The number of seats on the Khulna-bound train from Dhaka is 908.

The ticket price for Shobhan chair has been fixed at Tk500, a first class ticket is Tk665, first class berth Tk995, Snigdha chair Tk 830, AC chair Tk995 and AC berth Tk1,495.

Prof Harun-or-Rashid, of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), who was traveling on the train, said, "Earlier, it took very long to reach Dhaka from Khulna, but now we can save two hours from that journey. I'm so excited to be one of the first passengers."

Maulana Delwar Hossain, Imam of T&T Jaam-e-Masjid, said, "I never imagined a train journey over the Padma."

Babul Hawladar, an advocate, meanwhile, urged to make the route a little shorter, increase the number of bogies, and reduce the train fare on the route.