A parliamentary committee has recommended increasing the number of freight carriages compared with passenger carriages to boost Bangladesh Railway’s revenue and help turn the sector into a profitable one.

The recommendation was made at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Railways held at the Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday, according to a press release issued by the Parliament Secretariat after the meeting.

The committee directed the Ministry of Railways to increase freight carriages to raise the railway’s income. It also recommended increasing revenue through the export of cargo from Bangladesh by rail.

The committee further advised taking necessary measures to transform the railway sector from a loss-making sector into a profitable one.

At the meeting, officials presented information on Bangladesh Railway’s existing digital services, initiatives to manufacture locomotives according to specified requirements and increase their number, and measures taken by the ministry to stop ticket black-marketing.

The progress of the proposed Panchagarh-Cox’s Bazar railway line was also discussed at the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by committee chairman Mohammad Ali Asgar.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister Habibur Rashid, and committee members Abdul Mohit Talukdar, Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto, Md Abu Said Chand, Md Robiul Awal, Mizanur Rahman, Muhammad Azizur Rahman and Golam Rabbani attended the meeting.