Bangladesh Railway (BR) has undertaken an initiative to import 100 more metre gauge (MG) diesel electric locomotives for its fleet soon to provide improved service to the passengers as well as carrying their goods.
“The government has already procured 46 broad gauge (BG) and metre gauge locomotives and engaged them in the service to the passengers, thus restoring the image of Bangladesh Railway,” Railways Minister M Mazibul Hoque told BSS on Thursday.
He said initiative is already underway to import 100 MG locomotives from different sources, of which 20 locomotives will be procured through Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of Korea, 10 through Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) finance and 70 under Suppliers Credit financing.
The minister said the government has undertaken various development projects to minimize rolling stock crisis and provide better service to the common people at cheap fare.
He said the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken various projects involving Taka 45,423.31 crore to improve train services, procure locomotives, wagons, coaches, construct new bridges and expand tracks and build double lines on different routes for increased frequency of train movement.
Hoque said the government approved 85 new and revised projects for modernizing signaling systems, rehabilitating damaged tracks and expanding its network.
He said 20 MG and 26 BG locomotives were already been added in the railway fleet during the present government’s last tenure and the BR launched 45 train services and expanded service of 20 train routes.
The minister said the past BNP-led four party alliance government intentionally neglected the sector and did not take initiative to develop BR, which is always contributing to ferry passengers and goods across the country.
Meanwhile, the government has approved a master plan for development of Bangladesh Railway and its service along with expanding railway network across the country.
