The friendship express

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[3] KOLKATA, India -- A bright red train decorated with flowers chugged out of Kolkata on April 14 on a historic journey. It was headed for Dhaka, the capital of neighboring Bangladesh. The two cities are only about 150 mites apart, and their people share a common culture, but trains haven't run between them since 1965. That was the year that India and Pakistan went to war. At the time, Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. India later helped it win independence, but security along the border between the two countries remains tight. The war sprit up fatuities, which is one reason people are excited about the train. Planes and buses are expensive, while the new Maitree Express, or Friendship Express, costs about $8 a trip. Santosh Basak left what is now Bangladesh in 1964. "I always wanted to come back," he told BBC News. "This train gives me the opportunity to return to my people."

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