Passenger trains will start running on the Khulna-Mongla route beginning Saturday. The Khulna Mongla Port Railway Project’s Chief Engineer, Ahmed Hossain Masum, confirmed that train services will commence on June 1, with the Betna Express entering Mongla via Phultala between 11am and 11:30am, officially opening the route.
Preparations, including hiring permanent staff, have been completed to ensure smooth operations. The Betna Express, which runs from Khulna to Benapole via Jessore, will extend its service from Phultala Junction to Mongla, rebranded as the “Mongla Commuter” on this new route.
The schedule for the Mongla Commuter is as follows:
- Departs Khulna at 6:15am, reaches Benapole at 8:30am, then travels to Mongla, arriving at 12:35pm.
- Stops at Mohammadnagar, Katakhali, and Chulkati Bazar railway stations on the way from Phultala to Mongla.
- Leaves Mongla at 1pm, reaching Benapole at 4:30pm.
- The train service will be closed on Tuesdays.
The Khulna-Mongla railway project, initiated in 2010 and approved by the National Economic Council Executive Committee (Ecnec), has been implemented in three phases. The total railway track length is 86.87km, including 64.75km of broad gauge railway. A 5.13km railway bridge over the Rupsa River is a key component of the project. The project cost has escalated from an initial estimate of Tk1,721 crore to Tk4,260.88 crore, with a completion date extended to March 31, 2024.
Key project features include:
- A 5.13km bridge over the Rupsa River.
- 64km of track from Phultala to Mongla.
- 91km of road with double lines at stations.
- Nine platforms, 107 small bridges, and nine underpasses.
- Completed signalling and telecommunication works.
Mongla, Bangladesh’s second-largest seaport, established on December 1, 1950, is strategically located at the confluence of the Pasur and Mongla rivers, 48km south of Khulna city in Bagerhat district. Connecting Mongla by rail will significantly benefit traders by reducing transportation costs and enhancing logistics.
The new rail service marks the first time in 73 years that Mongla will be connected by rail. This development fulfills a long-held dream for the region’s residents and was inaugurated virtually by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 1, 2023. A trial run from Phultala to Mongla was conducted on October 30, 2023.
