Train tickets to Dhaka now available in Guwahati

Train tickets of the bi-weekly Mitali Express from the Northeast of India to Dhaka can now be booked at the Guwahati railway station itself.

Prior to this, tourists and traders had to travel to  New Jalpaiguri or Calcutta in neighbouring Bengal to purchase tickets for the train that connects New Jalpaiguri in Bengal with Dhaka.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said on Friday (7 October) that Guwahati railway station has started operating an overseas ticketing counter to help commuters availing the New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express, reports The Telegraph.

The ticketing counter was inaugurated on 27 September near the existing Guwahati booking office. It will remain open on all working days from 8am to 8pm.

The NFR further mentioned that tourists and traders from Assam and its adjacent states such as Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland would benefit from the overseas counter as it has spared them the trouble of travelling all the way to Calcutta or New Jalpaiguri for the Mitali Express tickets.

"Commuters can now avail of the same facility at the Guwahati railway station which has become the third place to get tickets for Mitali Express after New Jalpaiguri and Calcutta. We are expecting a good response," NFR chief public relations officer Sabyasachi De said.

It takes around 10 hours to cover a distance of about 513km between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka.

De further said, "A GST at 5% will have to be paid in addition to the ticket fare. The exchange price of US dollars will be taken according to the current rate on the very first day of the month of the journey. For booking of tickets, passengers are requested to carry valid passports and visas."

Mitali Express which connects India and Bangladesh was flagged off on 1 June, 2022. It runs two days a week leaving New Jalpaiguri at 11:45am (IST) every Sunday and Wednesday to reach Dhaka Cantonment at 10:30pm (BST).

"In the return direction, Dhaka Cantonment – New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express also runs two days a week on Monday and Thursday leaving Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST) to reach New Jalpaiguri at 07:15 hours (IST) on Tuesday and Friday," the NFR said.