Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Thursday said in parliament that there is now a total of 3,428.09 kilometers of railway tracks across the country.
Replying to a starred question from treasury bench lawmaker Md Mosharrf Hossain (Bogra-4), the minister said the network comprises 1,591.43 kilometers of meter gauge, 1,066.60 kilometers of broad gauge, and 770.06 kilometers of dual gauge tracks.
Rabiul Alam added that the government continues to expand the railway network by installing new broad gauge and dual gauge lines under various projects, based on feasibility and demand.
Responding to a tabled question from opposition (Jamaat) lawmaker Md Elias Molla (Faridpur-1) in the house, the Railways minister said that the supply of 200 broad gauge coaches from India is expected to start within this year, which would be added to the Bangladesh Railway fleet by December 2027.
"Under Bangladesh Railway, the supply of 200 broad gauge coaches from India is supposed to begin this year with funding from the European Investment Bank. Under the project, it is expected that all 200 coaches will be added to the Bangladesh Railway fleet between June 2026 and December 2027," he said.
He said once the coaches are received, Bangladesh Railway will take initiatives to determine routes for operating new trains.
In response to a question from ruling party lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Kaiser (Gaibandha-4), the minister said that currently 15 intercity trains are operating between Dhaka and the northern districts.
Once the new coaches from India begin arriving, it will be possible to increase the number of intercity trains on some of these routes, he said.
To improve passenger comfort and boost revenue from freight transport, the minister added that the government is working to approve projects to procure 260 broad gauge passenger carriages, 46 broad gauge locomotives, and 50 metre gauge locomotives in the near future.
