Ramna local train started operating on Parbatipur to Chilmari route on Monday after being suspended for four and a half years. The train departed from Parbatipur Railway Station in Dinajpur on Monday morning, heading towards Chilmari in Kurigram.
Railway sources said train services were halted nationwide during March in 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19, including the Ramna local train, the only local train that operated on this railway line at that time. Although train services resumed across the country later, the Parbatipur-Ramna local train remained suspended for over four and a half years due to a shortage of locomotive masters, engines, and manpower.
The Ramna local train was replaced by a train named Chilmari Commuter on March 1 in 2022. Unfortunately, this train did not become popular due to issues such as not arriving at convenient times and failing to connect with other trains at the Teesta or Kawnia junctions.
Regarding the matter, Divisional Railway Manager Abdus Salam said the Ramna local train is one of the most popular trains in the Kurigram region. This morning, the train departed from Parbatipur Railway Station in Dinajpur heading towards Chilmakari in Kurigram.
Railway authority said the Ramna local train will depart from Parbatipur Station at 5:30am and arrive at Ramna Station in Chilmakari at 10:00am. Conversely, the train will leave Ramna Station at 10:20am and reach Parbatipur at 3:20pm.
Local residents have expressed their satisfaction as the Ramna local train started its operation again. Mizanur Rahman, a resident of the Ramna Railway Station area, said, there is joy in the area with the news of the Ramna local train resuming operations after a long 5 years. We are very happy that the Ramna local train started operating again.
Naheed Hasan, a trustee of the Artist Welfare Trust and former president of the Rail-Waterway Communication and Environmental Development People's Committee, said previously, four local trains operated on the Ramna railway line. Recently, a decision has been made to resume one of them, and the remaining three trains will be launched gradually.
Former organizational secretary of the Rail-Waterway Communication and Environmental Development People's Committee, Khandakar Arif, said that the Ramna local train arrived at Rajarhat Station at 9:30 AM today. There, the committee leaders greeted the passengers with flowers. Afterward, they boarded the train and began their journey towards Chilmakari, making stops at Kurigram Station, Panchpir Station, and Ulipur Station along the way.
