The Partition of India in 1947 disrupted rail links of undivided Bengal. But still three train services from Sealdah viz. East Bengal Mail to Parbatipur junction & East Bengal Express to Goalundo Ghat via Gede-Darshana route and the Barisal Express to Khulna via Benapole-Petrapole route continued operation between India & East Pakistan until the outbreak of Indo-Pak war in 1965.

In 2001, the Indian & Bangladeshi governments agreed upon the revival of old railway passenger routes during bilateral talks. The train service concept got a major boost during the visit of the then Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee to Dhaka in February, 2007. On July 8th same year, first cross-border train ran from Kolkata to Dhaka after 42 years, as a test run, carrying Indian government officials who were to meet their Bangladeshi counterparts to finalize train schedules.