Dhaka:The State Minister for Planning, Md. Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, announced that the government intends to procure more locomotives and carriages to enhance Bangladesh Railway's passenger and freight services. This effort is part of a broader initiative to address the current shortage of locomotives, particularly meter-gauge ones, and to gradually modernize the country's railway network.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, The government has identified a need for approximately 70 to 80 locomotives, with a current project set to procure 30 as an initial step. This announcement followed an ECNEC meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Currently, around 65 percent of Bangladesh's railway tracks are meter-gauge, and the transition to dual-gauge or standard-gauge tracks is expected to take until around 2050. Until this transformation is complete, the country will continue to require meter-gauge locomotives to maintain uninterrupted service.
The procurement project for the 30 locomotives has an estimated cost of Taka 2,769.86 crore, financed jointly by the Government of Bangladesh and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The shortage of locomotives has already impacted railway operations, leading to suspended or reduced services on some routes and freight transportation challenges.
Bangladesh Railway is also focused on converting meter-gauge tracks to dual-gauge or standard-gauge and has plans to introduce electric train services. A project for electric railway service between Joydebpur, Dhaka, and Narayanganj has been approved. Additionally, a more direct railway connection between Dhaka and Chattogram is in development, aiming to significantly reduce travel time.
The government is also working on a dual-gauge railway connection with the northern region, where progress is already at 70 percent. This is part of a comprehensive effort to accelerate ongoing projects, expand modern railway infrastructure, and enhance maintenance and manufacturing capacities at workshops in Parbatipur and Saidpur.
Despite the global decline in the use of meter-gauge locomotives, Bangladesh will continue to rely on them during the transition period. Consequently, developing domestic capacity to maintain existing locomotives and adapt to new technologies is emphasized as a priority.
The state minister highlighted that the current procurement is part of a larger strategy to modernize the railway system and improve operational efficiency, with further projects anticipated to follow.