At Khulna Railway Station, the usual hustle and bustle of passengers is missing these days.
Only a handful of people now come here to board Dhaka-bound trains, with most commuters preferring to take buses to their destination to save time — all thanks to the country’s most coveted Padma Bridge.
Ashrafi Chumki, a resident of Mistripara in Khulna city, said, “Now we can reach Dhaka in a short period of time by bus and we can also enjoy the scenic beauty of the Padma Bridge. Earlier it was a hassle as we needed to book train tickets in advance.”
Railway sources say that the number of train passengers has declined to half over the past week, post-opening of the bridge.
Moreover, the plying of only two trains — Sundarban Express and Chitra Express — on the Dhaka-Khulna route contributed to the unusual rush at the station earlier.
“After the opening of the Padma Bridge on June 26, I prefer travelling by bus to Dhaka from Khulna as the journey takes barely four hours,” said Motahar Rahman Babu, a resident of the Tutpara area in Khulna city.
“Moreover, train services on the Dhaka-Khulna route are only available at night and early morning and it takes eight hours,” he added.
Railway officials attributed the low footfall in the otherwise overcrowded station to the opening of the Padma Bridge.
Traffic inspector at Khulna Railway Station, Shamimur Rahman, said, “Due to the bridge, road communication between Khulna and Dhaka is now booming, which is why the trains are running with only 50% capacity.”
