TDS Desk:

Bangladesh Railway’s fundamental problem remains a critical shortage of rolling stock of locomotives, coaches and wagons. Despite massive investment over the past fifteen years, authorities have failed to take effective action to resolve this core crisis. Although calls for railway reform grew louder after the fall of the Awami League government in the mass uprising, no visible progress has been made at the state-owned public transport operator. While major projects have been implemented during this period, the sector is becoming increasingly fragile because essential infrastructure for revenue growth and passenger service improvement has not been built, and the rolling stock deficit remains unaddressed.

The government, during the last decade and a half, has invested over BDT 1 trillion in the Bangladesh Railway. Alongside the revenue budget, a large portion of this investment — funded from both domestic and foreign sources — has been spent on constructing new lines, rehabilitating existing tracks, repairing workshops, building bridges, purchasing rolling stock (coaches and locomotives), upgrading signalling systems, acquiring recovery and repair equipment, and building and renovating the railway’s own infrastructure. Yet the authorities have failed to take effective and timely measures to acquire the necessary number of locomotives and coaches to meet growing passenger and freight demand.

Although the now-ousted Awami League government poured considerable investment into the rail sector, the railway authority focused its attention on implementing one large megaproject after another. From 2009 to 2024, however, locomotives were imported in only a handful of phases. Consequently, the railway is effectively straining to operate with a number of locomotives far below the actual requirement.

Railway officials and analysts say infrastructure development is essential for improving service quality and handling increased passenger numbers by operating trains on schedule. This urgently requires constructing new tracks, establishing chord and double lines, and renovating old lines. Alongside this, workshop repair and construction for maintaining existing rolling stock, introducing modern signalling systems, and concurrently expanding the rolling stock fleet are needed. While the railway has worked on all these areas, it has shown a persistent reluctance for years to purchase locomotives and coaches.

A review meeting on modernising the rail system, organised by the Planning Commission’s Physical Infrastructure Division, was held on April 23 last year. Chaired by the division’s Senior Secretary MA Akmalll Hossain Azad, the meeting reviewed plans to upgrade railway infrastructure and rolling stock, and to improve operational efficiency through modernisation, expansion and maintenance. Data presented showed that, despite heavy investment, 69 percent of Bangladesh Railway’s metre-gauge locomotives have exceeded their economic lifespan. In addition, 27 percent of broad-gauge locomotives, 43 percent of metre-gauge passenger coaches and 34 percent of broad-gauge coaches are also economically unviable. Even so, the railway authority has pursued a succession of large megaprojects while failing to launch any rapid, large-scale programme to procure rolling stock, including locomotives.

Railway representatives at the meeting said limited rolling stock is being procured under a small number of ongoing projects. Short- and medium-term procurement plans have been drawn up, they added, and feasibility studies are underway to meet future demand.

When asked, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain told journalists: “The rolling stock crisis cannot be solved immediately, as procuring even a single locomotive or carriage takes several years. The global market for metre-gauge rail is relatively small, so the number of manufacturers of such locomotives is limited. This is why the railway is prioritising the construction of broad-gauge and dual-gauge lines.”

He added that efforts are currently focused on keeping existing locomotives operational through repairs while gradually procuring new ones to meet demand.

Internal railway documents say freight transport targets on the Dhaka–Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar–Matarbari Port route, projected future demand, increased capacity at Matarbari and Chattogram ports, and the construction of bay terminals are expected to multiply reliance on the railway.

However, no effective steps have yet been taken to strengthen existing rail links to the country’s main seaports. Moreover, while lines across the country have been renovated and converted to dual gauge, the vital route for freight — Faujdarhat–CGPY–Chattogram Port section — remains unconverted. This has slowed cargo movement and increased accident risks. In response, the Bangladesh Railway has begun planning not only for the old freight line but also for a Bay Terminal rail link, a Mirsarai Economic Zone rail link, and a Dhaka–Chattogram chord line.

An analysis of Transport and Engineering Department data shows that locomotive maintenance is handled by four factories in Dhaka, Pahartali and Parbatipur, along with 15 loco sheds across two regions for daily operations. While 19 carriage and wagon depots handle their maintenance, all are decades old. Despite the construction of the Central Locomotive Workshop in Parbatipur in 1992, repair work is being disrupted as facilities struggle to keep pace with newer rolling stock. Under the railway’s master plan, initiatives were taken to build two factories in Daripara and Rajbari, but implementing the projects will take at least another decade. As a result, the railway, already facing a locomotive and carriage crisis, cannot carry out essential repairs because of an acute shortage of adequate workshops.

Md Shuboktagin, general manager of Bangladesh Railway’s Eastern Region, told journalists, “Due to various complexities, the desired level of rolling stock procurement hasn’t been achieved despite our initiatives. Work has now begun on long-neglected areas.”

Meanwhile, despite announcements of a railway reform programme after the change in government, little progress has been made in practice. The adviser responsible for multiple ministries devotes only one day a week to railway matters. As a result, the railway, weighed down by long-standing corruption and inefficiency, continues to operate at its previous limited capacity.

The railway’s sanctioned workforce stands at 47,703 posts, but fewer than half are filled — only 22,790. A critical shortage of operational staff, including stationmasters, loco masters, porters and level-crossing gatekeepers, has forced the closure of at least 130 stations across Bangladesh.

Railway data show that rail’s share of passenger and freight transport is below 5 percent across road, water, air and rail. Despite the potential to move large volumes of containers from Chattogram port, the railway’s share is just 3 percent because of the locomotive shortage, generating annual revenue of BDT 1.15 billion in the 2023–24 fiscal year. Although the government has proposed fast-tracking completion of the ICD at Dhirasram and building an ICD at Nimtali to move containers from Mongla port via the Padma Bridge, the railway authority has yet to take any initiative.

The railway’s transport department says 8–10 major railway bridges are now in a highly vulnerable condition, many of which were built in the British era. Running heavy freight and container trains over them is risky. Yet the railway’s heavy investment over the past 15 years has included no move to repair or rebuild them. While the Dohazari–Cox’s Bazar line is newly built, train operations remain hazardous because the century-old Kalurghat bridge over the Karnaphuli River has not been replaced. In effect, short-term thinking and a focus on unnecessary projects have left the railway lagging in critical infrastructure. Against this backdrop, railway officials say the acute rolling stock shortage means the system is now struggling to survive rather than expand passenger services, despite heavy investment.