The 'Mitali Express', the third India-Bangladesh train service, on Wednesday formally began operations between New Jalpaiguri in India's West Bengal and Dhaka Cantonment station in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and his Indian counterpart Ashwini Vaishnav jointly flagged off the rail service in a virtual format from the Rail Bhaban, headquarter of Indian Railway ministry, reports BSS.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran and senior officials of railway ministries of both the countries, among others, were present during the flagging off ceremony.

Sources said the train will take nine hours to travel 513 kilometres between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka Cantonment station. It will be operated by a diesel engine and will have four air-conditioned cabin coaches and four air-conditioned chair cars.

During its return journey, Dhaka Cantonment - New Jalpaiguri Mitali Express will also run two days a week- on Monday and Thursday, which will leave Dhaka Cantonment at 21:50 hours (BST).

The other two Indo-Bangladesh passenger trains - Maitree Express and Bandhan Express, whose operations were disrupted due to Covid-19 restrictions, resumed their services on May 29.

Maitree Express, which began service in 2008, is the first train to run between the two countries since the British partitioned India in 1947. Bandhan Express began service later that year.