United News of Bangladesh

The first consignment of 18 modern broad-gauge railway coaches, supplied under an agreement between Bangladesh Railway and India’s Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES), is scheduled to enter Bangladesh from India through Darshana International Railway Station in Chuadanga on Friday afternoon. The coaches are expected to reach the Darshana border around 1:30pm before being transported to the Saidpur Railway Workshop after customs formalities are completed. Mamunur Rashid, station manager of Darshana International Railway Station, said the coaches were manufactured in Punjab's Kapurthala and began their journey to Bangladesh on October 12. The coaches are currently stationed at Ranaghat Junction Railway Station in West Bengal. After completing the necessary formalities at Gede in India, the coaches will enter Bangladesh through the Joynagar border point in Darshana, he said. The consignment comprises 18 coaches, including three air-conditioned sleeper coaches, three air-conditioned chair cars, 11 non-air-conditioned chair cars and one power car. Upon arrival at the Saidpur Railway Workshop, the coaches will undergo necessary inspections and technical assessments, Mamunur Rashid said, adding that preparations will then be made to integrate them into passenger train services.

A shortage of wheels and essential spare parts has left nearly 200 railway coaches lying idle at the Syedpur Railway Workshop in Nilphamari, threatening disruption in train services during the upcoming Eid travel rush. More than 100 of the stalled coaches require only wheel replacement to become operational again. However, the workshop has not received a fresh supply of wheels for several months, making it impossible to complete the repairs, said officials. Most of these coaches are broad-gauge bogies used in Dhaka-bound intercity trains, they said. In addition to the wheel shortage, nearly another 100 coaches remain out of service due to the lack of several small but critical spare parts. As a result, even minor mechanical problems have rendered many coaches unusable. The situation has raised concerns about the availability of sufficient coaches for trains during Eid, when millions of passengers travel, potentially leading to overcrowding and travel disruptions. Railway sources said around 200 coaches from various parts of the country are sent to the Syedpur Railway Workshop each year after developing faults while operating on intercity routes. While more than half of them require only wheel replacement, the rest are awaiting repairs due to shortages of essential components. Workshop officials said spare parts such as springs, bearings, pick irons and hard clocks are usually imported from abroad. But imports of these items have remained suspended for nearly a year, creating an acute shortage. Since the procurement process for imported railway components is complex and time-consuming, resolving the crisis quickly may not be possible, they said. Sources also noted that many of the stranded coaches were imported from countries including India, Indonesia and China and were introduced into service around the same time, causing multiple units to develop problems simultaneously. Moreover, service agreements with the manufacturers of these imported coaches have already expired, leaving Bangladesh Railway without direct technical support from the companies. As a result, the authorities now have to import spare parts separately to repair the coaches — a process that could take at least another year to complete. Divisional Superintendent of the Syedpur Railway Workshop Shah Sufi Nur Mohammad said the workshop has the technical capacity to repair coaches but cannot do so due to shortages of essential materials. Manpower shortage cripples Tk153 crore modernised Saidpur Railway Workshop “Despite manpower shortages, the workshop can repair three passenger coaches and three freight wagons every two days. But the lack of imported components is preventing us from utilising that capacity fully,” he said. He said the railway is facing operational losses as the workshop cannot deliver the expected output. The official stressed the need for ensuring advance stock of imported spare parts and simplifying procurement procedures so that repair work can continue without interruption. He also expressed hope that the Railway Bhaban, the ministry and the government would take necessary steps to address the crisis. He said repair work involving locally available components is continuing as usual.