Railways prepare for Eid rush with extra coaches, repairs
Considering the circumstances, the railway authorities have decided to attach additional coaches to trains operating on major routes.
Highlights:
- Adding extra coaches, repairing old ones underway
- Passenger pressure may increase this time due to instability in fuel markets
- Extra coaches to be attached to trains on major routes
- Newly imported coaches from South Korea being introduced on some busy routes
- Already 94 coaches repaired, 28 more will be added before Eid rush
- Two to three extra coaches will be added to each train
- Eid travel services will operate from 16 March to 28 March
As Eid-ul-Fitr nears, Bangladesh Railway has already taken several initiatives, including adding extra coaches to trains and repairing dozens of old carriages, to manage the surge in passengers during the upcoming religious festival.
Railway officials say trains remain the most popular mode of transport during Eid travel, and this time, they may face additional pressure due to the ongoing Middle East war, which hits the fuel markets and ultimately road transport services, as a large number of holidaymakers travel by road.
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Considering the circumstances, the railway authorities have decided to attach additional coaches to trains operating on major routes.
At the same time, efforts are underway to improve passenger comfort by introducing newly imported coaches from South Korea on some highly demanded routes. These upgraded coaches are expected to enhance service quality for travellers during the festival.
Meanwhile, the Pahartali Railway Workshop in Chattogram has been relentlessly working to repair 122 coaches, many of which were previously idle or in need of maintenance.
Mostafa Zakir Hasan, divisional superintendent (workshop) at Pahartali, said works have been going on around the clock over the past two months to complete the repairs before Eid.
"We are giving these coaches a near-new look," he said. "About half of them were running coaches that required maintenance, while the rest were out-of-service coaches that had been lying in the workshop."
So far, 94 coaches have already been repaired, and officials expect the remaining work to be completed before the start of the Eid rush.
According to railway sources, the Dhaka-Chattogram route will receive the highest number of additional coaches. The non-stop Subarna Express and Sonar Bangla Express will see the largest increase. Other trains on the same route, including Turna Express, Mahanagar Godhuli Express and Mahanagar Express, will also operate with extra coaches.
Additional coaches will also be attached to Paharika and Udayan Express on the Chattogram-Sylhet route, Bijoy Express on the Chattogram-Mymensingh route, Meghna Express on the Chattogram-Chandpur route, and Parjotak and Cox's Bazar Express on the Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar line.
Besides, two to three extra coaches will be added to each train. Eid special travel services are scheduled to operate from 16 March to 28 March.
Alongside the addition of coaches, the railway authorities are also rearranging train sets on several routes. Newly imported metre-gauge coaches from South Korea will be used to form a new rake [a set of coupled carriages, coaches, or wagons that form a complete train, excluding the locomotive] for the Turna-Nishita Express on the Dhaka–Chattogram route.
The previous rake of Turna Express will be reassigned to Mahanagar Express, while the rake from Mahanagar Express will be deployed on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar route for the intercity trains Prabal Express and Saikat Express.
Railway officials said these two trains usually operate with second-class coaches and offer only non-air-conditioned "Shovon Chair" seating. Despite serving the popular tourist destination of Cox's Bazar, they currently lack air-conditioned compartments.
Once the upgraded coaches are added, passengers travelling on these routes are expected to enjoy improved facilities, including full intercity train services.
Mohammad Shahidul Islam, joint director (operations) of Bangladesh Railway, said trains will run according to standard compositions as in previous years, with extra coaches added wherever necessary.
"Newly imported coaches are being used to form new rakes, while the replaced rakes will be deployed on older intercity trains," he said. "This will help ensure more comfortable travel for passengers during Eid."
However, officials warn that a shortage of locomotives could still pose a challenge.
Railway data shows that operating all trains smoothly requires more than 3,000 coaches and around 300 locomotives. Currently, just over 2,000 coaches and more than 200 locomotives are operational, as many have already exceeded their service life.
The eastern region (Chattogram) faces the most severe shortage, with about 1,131 operational coaches and just over 70 locomotives. Officials estimate that at least 85 locomotives will be needed to avoid major schedule disruptions during the Eid rush.
Chief Mechanical Engineer of the railway's eastern zone, Sadekur Rahman, said all departments are working to ensure a smooth Eid journey for passengers. "We hope to provide uninterrupted train services during the holiday travel period," he added.
