Asking the authorities concerned to repair and modernize the railway tracks and bridges, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said that her administration plans to introduce electric and high speed trains in the country to make the services better and faster.
“Procuring new coaches, locomotives and engines is not enough for the railway sector’s development. Alongside, rail lines and bridges will have to be modernized and developed,” she said, reports BSS.
“Communication is very important for development. So it’s our aim to modernize the rail service, make it dynamic and take the communication to the people’s doorsteps,” she said while addressing an event at Ganabhaban, her official residence, in Dhaka.
For that, she said, the government was improving the services on roads, airways, waterways and rail communications gradually.
The prime minister, through a videoconference Wednesday afternoon, flagged off new train Benapole Express, which will run on the Dhaka-Benapole route, and inaugurated the extension service of Dhaka-Rajshahi intercity train Bonolata Express to Chapainawabganj.
She said: "We've a plan to generate more electricity as we're now producing 22,000MW... We'll be able to introduce electric trains in near future.
“We'll set up rail lines for remote areas as well to introduce speedy trains for easier communications.”
She mentioned that with the introduction of electric and speedy trains, goods transports will be easier and faster, creating opportunities for enhanced business and trade, reports UNB.
In this regard, Hasina asked the authorities concerned to recruit necessary manpower to the railway and provide modern training to make its staff capable of operating such modern trains.
The prime minister also thanked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for supporting Bangladesh in developing the railway sector.
She said the new trains were the gifts from the government to the people of Rajshahi and Khulna divisions ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan and ADB Country Director Manmohan Parkash also spoke at the event.
The trains and the benefits
After the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister also exchanged views with government officials, local MPs, businessmen and beneficiaries at Benapole and Chapainawabganj ends through the videoconference.
On extension of Bonolata Express train service to Chapainawabganj, she said the mango harvesting process of the season was underway in the country.
“The mango farmers of Chapainawabganj will be able to market their mango easily and will benefit economically after the expansion of Bonolata Express to their district,” she said.
Hasina mentioned that the current distance between Dhaka and Benapole by railway was a long one — 385 kilometres. "But there's good news! Once Padma Bridge is completed, we'll set up a railway junction at Bhanga...
“We'll link Jessore with Faridpur, and then there'll be no problem to go to Benapole through that route. The distance and journey time will get reduced by 180 kilometres and four to five hours, respectively," she said.
After the inauguration, Benapole Express left the Benapole Railway Station for Dhaka at 1:15pm with 114 passengers, said Station Master Md Saiduzzaman.
The train with 896 seats in 12 compartments, which were procured from Indonesia, will travel between Benapole and Dhaka every day with stopovers in Ishwardi, Jessore and Dhaka Airport stations.
The train will leave Benapole for Dhaka at 11:30am, and start from Dhaka for Benapole at 12:30am.
The prices of tickets, which will be available at the railway stations in Dhaka, Benapole and Jessore, has been fixed at Tk485 for Shovon chair, Tk932 for air conditioned seat and Tk1,674 for air conditioned cabin.
People will be able to enjoy the train’s services during the upcoming Eid journey.
Additional reporting by Dhaka Tribune’s Selim Reja from Benapole
