The minister added that 200 BG coaches will be inducted into the Bangladesh Railway fleet between June 2026 and December 2027.
Bangladesh-India relations: The Bangladesh Railway is set to import 200 broad-gauge (BG) coaches from India. Railway Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam told Bangladeh Parliament that the country will receiving coaches, financed by the European Investment Bank from this year, The Daily Star reported.
The minister added that 200 BG coaches will be inducted into the Bangladesh Railway fleet between June 2026 and December 2027. He further said that new train routes will be determined once the coaches are received.
The minister was responding to questions from Jamaat MPs Ilyas Molla and Ruhul Amin during a question-and-answer session.
Modernisation of Bangladesh Railway
According to The Daily Star, the minister also stated that plans are underway to procure 260 broad-gauge passenger coaches, 46 broad-gauge locomotives, and 50 metre-gauge locomotives in the near future. It will enhance passenger comfort and improve railway revenue through freight services, he said.
The minister added that the number of intercity trains connecting Dhaka with the northern districts will be increased once the new coaches from India are received. Currently, 15 intercity trains operate on this route.
Expansion of Bangladesh Railway
According to the report, Bangladesh Railway is undertaking expansion projects to develop new broad-gauge and dual-gauge lines. At present, the country has a total railway network of 3,428.09 km, comprising 1,591.43 km of metre-gauge, 1,066.60 km of broad-gauge and 770.06 km of dual-gauge tracks.
