TDS Desk:

Despite the increase in demand for trains, the supply side continues to be slow with no sign of improvement due to the wrong selection of funding agencies, faulty tender process, and inefficiency in project preparation by railway officials.

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has so far shelved some important projects years after taking preparations and doing loan negotiations.

This further delayed the supply of locomotives and carriages, as well as the installation of tracks on different routes.

The China-funded 200 metre-gauge coach-procurement project was closed after nine years.

BR also lost more than a decade in another important project as it was forced to find another development partner after China’s refusal to fund the scheme.

Besides, three India-funded projects, which were supposed to improve track capacity, were recently shelved due to the political changeover caused by last year’s July-August uprising.

Sources say the tender documents of many projects have been reviewed after finding technical problems in the specifications.

BR recently formed a committee to review the specification for the procurement of 30 metre-gauge locomotives under a project.

The project aims to improve the Chattogram-Dohazari line in order to establish smoother links between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar.

Projects involving electric traction and chord line development in the Dhaka-Chattogram rail corridor and the northern route up to Rajshahi faced continuous delays during the last two decades due to political reasons.

BR officials say the state-owned train operator has continued its efforts to speed up the process of getting funds from various development partners.

But they admit that the time needed to meet the demand cannot be reduced.

According to them, there is no way to predict how long it will take to meet the demand for locomotives, carriages, and track development for both metre-gauge and broad-gauge operations.

BR is looking forward to getting Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds for the Bogura-Shahid M Monsur Ali dual-gauge line.

ADB is also funding the Chattogram-Dohazari line’s dual-gauge conversion project.

Under the project, 30 locomotives are supposed to be purchased in the next three years.

The committee formed to review specifications in tender documents will take into account the performance of locomotives, modern technology, energy efficiency, availability of spare parts, international acceptance, and usability in the context of Bangladesh.

It is yet to submit the report.

A reliable source says the draft specification was found closed to ensure competition among qualified companies.

BR operates around 350 trains, including intercity, local, mail, and freight, daily, enabling 80 million passengers to commute annually.

Only 8.0 per cent of the entire rail network has double tracks for operating both metre-gauge and broad-gauge trains.

Officials say 140 metre-gauge locomotives, 46 broad-gauge locomotives, 460 broad-gauge carriages, and 500 metre-gauge carriages are in the pipeline, but none will arrive in three to four years.

South Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) is funding a project to purchase 200 broad-gauge coaches.

Of the coaches, 20 are likely to arrive in December in the first phase.

EDCF has given assurance for another 60 metre-gauge locomotive purchase project.

The process is planned to start in 2027, and 260 broad-gauge coach purchase is now under negotiation.

BR has severe manpower shortages. Against 47,000 approved posts, 23,000 were occupied until recently.

Because of the crisis, full-fledged operations could not be started on the new tracks developed so far, including those on both sides of the Padma Bridge.

Trains do not stop at all the new stations due to employee shortages.