 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | Bangladesh |
| First service | July 17, 2019 |
| Website | http://www.railway.gov.bd/ |
| Route | |
| Stops | 10 |
| Average journey time | 8 hours |
| Service frequency | 6 days each week |
| On-board services | |
| Catering facilities | On-board |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock |
|
Benapole Express (Train no. 795-796) is a semi non-stop intercity train which runs between Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) and Benapole. The train connects the capital to an important Land port of Bangladesh.
There was no train service directly from Benapole to Dhaka. So Bangladesh government had decided to operate a new intercity train on Dhaka-Benapole route as the existing train makes 14 stops, taking the total travel time to 10 to 12 hours. [1] In order to reach Dhaka, the passengers of India are facing extreme suffering. The only road to travel depends on the bus. This breakthrough move saves at least 3 to 4 hours as Benapole Express is reaching its destination within 7–8 hours daily. The Benapole Express has been scheduled to run non-stop for six days every week. [2]
The train is named after its final destination. At first, a few names including Bandar Express, Ichhamati Express and Benapole Express were proposed but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had finalized the name Benapole Express.
The Benapole Express has a total of 896 seats. There are 12 new coaches on the train with advanced technologies and facilities which have been procured from China. Among them, two are air-conditioned controlled. There is a wheelchair system for disabled passengers, which is the first in Bangladesh. [3]
Rolling Stock:
At the beginning, the train used to run with 12 new coaches procured from Indonesia. But then the new coaches were replaced with 10 LHB coaches from India. On 18 April 2023, Benapole express received its current Chinese coaches with advanced technologies and facilities under the Padma Rail Link.
The train will have stopovers [4] in-
The train leaves Benapole at 01:00 pm and reaches Dhaka at 08:45 pm. On the other hand, it departs Dhaka for Beanpole at 11:45 pm and reaches Beanpole at 7:20 am. [5]
The ticket price for the train has been fixed at ৳485 taka for Shovan chair, ৳1,047 taka for Snigdha, ৳1,213 taka for air-conditioned seats each and ৳1,869 taka for air-conditioned cabins. [6]
Two canteen are added to the train. Here burgers, cakes, sandwiches, patches, rolls, bread, tea, copies, cutlets, boiled eggs, fried chicken, kebab singers, samucha, various types of soft drinks and mineral water are available.
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Benapole is a township in Sharsha Upazila in the Jessore District of Bangladesh. The Petrapole Customs station of India is situated across the border and since 1971, many people have travelled between Bangladesh and India through Benapole Customs / Land port station. The railway link between Bangladesh and India through Benapole was discontinued when war broke out between Pakistan and India in September 1965. Urbanization of Benapole started in the 1990s along the Grand Trunk Road. In April 1971, the operational area of the sector 8 comprised the districts of Kushtia, Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Faridpur and Patuakhali. At the end of May the sector was reconstituted and comprised the districts of Kuhstia, Jessore, Khulna, Satkhira and the northern part of Faridpur district. Benapole served as the headquarters of sector 8 in the liberation war. It has the largest land port in south Asia and Bangladesh.
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