Goods train operations drop 50%, port yard sees wagon jam 

Alongside the cancellation of 100 passenger trains, the ongoing protest of railways' running staff has also led to the cancellation of 50% of container and goods-carrying trains, causing container congestion at Chattogram Goods Port Yard (CGPY).

Fears have been growing that congestion of train-carrying containers may be created at the Chattogram port due to disruption in the transport of containers by rail. 

Because of the protests, no goods-carrying train left the Goods Port Yard on Friday due to a shortage of loco masters. 

Railway sources said because of the stoppage in overtime duty by the staff, the authorities have cancelled 100 passenger trains on different routes and 50 goods-carrying trains due to loco masters shortage in the last five days.   

Running staff including the loco masters, assistant loco masters, sub loco masters or shunting loco master stopped working after eight hours of duty from last Tuesday, demanding restoration of mileage benefits for working extra hours. Due to manpower shortage, railway running staff have to do overtime duty. 

CGPY sources said during the normal time, eight goods-laden trains travel to different destinations -- including Dhaka, Sylhet -- from the CGPY every day.  Due to the loco master crisis, the scheduled travels of trains were cut short by 50%. 

Moreover, 29 container-carrying trains did not leave Pabna's Ishwardi junction for different destinations in the last three days, said railway sources.   

Ratan Kumar Chowdhury, manager of Chattogram Railway Station, told The Business Standard, in the last five days on an average 10 pairs of trains were cancelled for the loco master crisis.

If the situation is not normal soon, goods transportation by rail will be stopped totally, he added. 

Abdul Maleque, the chief yardmaster of CGPY, told TBS that four container-carrying trains were cancelled on Friday due to the loco master crisis. Of those, two were carrying imported goods.  

He also said four trains back from Dhaka entered the yard on Friday night, blocking all the rail tracks here. 

All rail tracks at CGPY remained blocked as goods-loaded trains and trains returning from Dhaka remained standing, causing a deadlock situation on train movement at the Port Yard.  The port yard is experiencing wagon congestion due to disruption of goods transport by rail. 

Moreover, due to schedule collapse on Friday, 124 TEUs (Twenty Feet Equivalent Unit) containers got stuck at CGPY, triggering a fear that congestion of train-carrying containers may be created at the Chattogram port. 

Chattogram port terminal manager Kudrat-e-Khuda said if the transport of containers by rail is stopped, it will also affect the Chattogram port activities.

Besides, importers cannot take delivery of their imported goods from the Dhaka ICD on time as 50% of container-carrying trains were cancelled.

However, two goods trains started for Dhaka on Saturday and three more were scheduled to leave the port yard for different destinations. 

The railway staff also threatened to go on full work abstention from 31 January if the mileage facilities are not restored by this time. 

The finance ministry last year reduced the 150-year-old allowance because the software cannot handle entries for more than 3,000 miles a month.

To settle the complexities over the mileage facility, the railway ministry secretary will sit with the agitating running staff on Sunday at Rail Bhaban, in the capital city, according to a letter sent to the Railway east zone from the ministry.

Rail minister Nurul Islam Sujon is likely to join the meeting.