BD-India rail reopening political issue
Indian Railways says operations can resume once both governments give the green light
ATT Correspondent 
With India resuming tourist visas for Bangladeshi citizens after nearly two years, attention has now turned to whether suspended passenger train services between Bangladesh and India will also restart.
An Indian railway official has indicated that the services could resume once both governments reach a political decision.
Speaking to the media, Rajib Saxena, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of India’s Eastern Railway, said discussions are ongoing and Indian Railways is fully prepared to restart operations as soon as it receives official approval.
“We are holding discussions. Once the situation is appropriate and we receive the green signal, we will resume train services immediately,” he said.
Saxena described the issue as a political decision rather than an operational one.
“So far, we have not received any instructions. Whenever the governments of India and Bangladesh decide that services should resume, we are ready to operate the trains,” he said.
He added that Indian Railways already has sufficient coaches in reserve and would have no difficulty restoring services.
“We have enough rolling stock available. We regularly operate special trains by combining coaches, so preparing the trains again will not be a problem,” he said.
Passenger rail links between the two neighbouring countries have remained suspended since political unrest in Bangladesh in July and August 2024.
The Maitree Express, which operates between Dhaka and Kolkata, has been suspended since 16 July 2024, while the Bandhan Express, linking Khulna and Kolkata, has remained closed since 17 July 2024.
The Mitali Express, connecting Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri, was suspended from 18 July 2024 after India announced the suspension of train services. The train remained stranded in Bangladesh following the halt in operations.
The suspension of cross-border rail services followed the political developments in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country on 5 August 2024 amid a mass uprising.
Although no official date has been announced for the resumption of train services, Saxena's comments suggest that operational preparations have already been completed and that services could restart once both governments reach a formal agreement.
