A new weekly train from Malda — the Amrit Bharat Express that will connect Malda with Bangalore — was flagged off on Saturday, part of the trains Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off virtually from Ayodhya.
“The train will run once a week from Malda Town and SMVT (Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya Terminal) in Bangalore. It will help residents in and around Malda who travel to southern parts of India, including Bangalore, for several reasons, ranging from education and jobs to healthcare,” said Khagen Murmu, the BJP MP of Malda (North) who was present at the inaugural run in Malda Town station.
Vikas Chaube, the divisional railway manager of the Malda division of Eastern Railway, said the train has 12 sleeper coaches, eight general coaches and two coaches for physically challenged persons.
Every Sunday, the train will depart Malda at 8.50am to reach Bangalore at 3am on Tuesday. On its return, it will leave Bangalore at 1.50pm every Tuesday and reach Malda at 11am on Thursday.
Balurghat-Calcutta
On January 1, the Balurghat-Sealdah Express will be flagged off from Balurghat. The train will run every day from both stations. So far, there was no direct train between Balurghat and Calcutta.