India's first-ever cargo container train for export to Bangladesh arrived at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) in West Bengal's Petrapole from Kolkata's Majerhat Railway Station on Sunday, S S Guleria, the Deputy Inspector General, Border Security Force (BSF) of the South Bengal Frontier said in a statement.
According to the statement, the train is the first of its kind to export to Bangladesh passing through a Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) container freight station, Majerhat, Kolkata, and Petrapole in India to Benapole in Bangladesh. The train, with the engine number 16557R A/W, had 50 containers and halted for about 25 minutes on the zero line for train immigration formalities.
"The train is equipped with an electronic cargo tracking system (ECTS) and the containers are electronically sealed and tracked by the Transecur company. MGH Group Private Limited is involved in a contract with Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) to run this train," the statement said.
The statement further added, "Earlier, the wagons of the Good Trains could be tampered with for human trafficking as well as smuggling of contraband to Bangladesh through ICPs between India-Bangladesh by smugglers. The running of this container train will put a check on the smuggling activities at the border in the coming time. The electronic seal makes it impossible for smugglers to put illegal baggage in it. This will make it a lot more convenient and efficient for the BSF to checking the train on the zero line."
( With inputs from ANI )