East Bengal Express

The East Bengal Express was a railway train that was one of three train services running between India and Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). The railway link was suspended at the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

East Bengal Express
Overview
Service typeRailway train
Route
StartSealdah
EndGoalundo Ghat
Service frequencyDaily
Technical
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)

Overview

Prior to 1965, when armed conflict broke out between India and Pakistan, rail links existed between India and East Pakistan. Three trains ran between the two countries carrying goods and passengers: (1) East Bengal Express between Sealdah and Goalundo Ghat via Gede-Darshana (2) East Bengal Mail between Sealdah and Parbatipur Junction via Gede-Darshana, and (3) Barisal Express between Sealdah and Khulna via Petrapole-Benapole.[1][2]

History

Eastern Bengal Railway opened the line from Calcutta to Goalundo, on the southern bank of the Padma in 1871.[3]

Goalundo

Here is a brief on the importance of Goalundo Ghat in earlier years: "If one goes from Calcutta to Dacca the rail journey is broken at Goalundo and from there to Narayanganj is continued by steamer. The night mail from Calcutta deposits one at Goalundo in the early hours of the morning... It (Goalundo) is situated at the junction of the Padma, or Ganges, and the Brahmaputra, and daily services of steamers connect it with the railway systems at Narayanganj and Chandpur, and with the steamer services to Madaripur, Barisal, Sylhet, and Cachar. There are also daily services of steamers up the Padma to Digha Ghat in the dry season, and Buxar in the rains, and up the Brahmaputra to Dibrugarh. From that it will be seen that Goalundo occupies a very strong strategic position in the waterways of Bengal, a position which has been made much stronger by railway development." [4]

References
  1. Sangeeta Thapliyal. "India-Bangladesh Transportation Links: A Move for Closer Cooperation". Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  2. "Geography - International". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  3. R.P.Saxena. "Indian Railway History timeline". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  4. "Goalundo Ghat - From the Hooghly to the Himalayas (1913)". IRFCA. Retrieved 10 December 2011.


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