Eighteen broad-gauge passenger railway coaches imported from India entered Bangladesh through the Darshana-Jaynagar border in Chuadanga at 3pm on Friday.
After completing customs formalities at Darshana, the coaches will be taken to Bangladesh Railway’s workshop in Saidpur for inspection before being added to the railway fleet.
The coaches began their journey from Kapurthala in India’s Punjab state on Monday, October 12. They remained at Ranaghat Station in Kolkata before departing on Friday afternoon.
After completing formalities at India’s Gede border checkpoint, the coaches entered Bangladesh through the Darshana-Jaynagar border. Officials of Bangladesh Railway’s Pakshey division subsequently took charge of the shipment.
The coaches have been painted red and green. The shipment includes 3 air-conditioned chair coaches, air-conditioned berth coaches, 4 luggage vans and 11 Shovon chair coaches.
In May 2024, the Bangladesh government signed an agreement with India’s RITES Limited under a project to purchase broad-gauge railway coaches.
The coaches were procured from RITES Limited in India. A total of 200 coaches will be collected from India in several phases and added to Bangladesh Railway’s fleet.
Robiul Islam, divisional mechanical engineer of Bangladesh Railway’s Pakshey division, said 18 broad-gauge passenger coaches had entered Bangladesh from India on Friday.
He said the coaches belonged to different categories and that the government had taken the initiative to improve the quality of passenger services.
