First batch of 19 new-generation Indian coaches to enter Bangladesh through Darshana

The first batch of 19 new-generation broad-gauge passenger coaches is on its way to Bangladesh from India through the Darshana border.

Built at the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, Punjab, the coaches are the first consignment under Bangladesh Railway’s procurement of 200 modern passenger coaches.

The arrival marks the resumption of passenger coach supplies from India to Bangladesh after nearly a decade.

The addition of the new coaches is expected to make rail services in the southwestern region, particularly those operating through the Padma Rail Bridge, more efficient and reliable.

The 19-coach shipment comes after a lengthy procurement process initiated in 2022. Under the project, Bangladesh Railway planned to procure 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches at an estimated cost of Tk1,704.66 crore, with around Tk1,331 crore expected to come as an EIB loan.

Bangladesh Railway opted for an international competitive tender instead of directly purchasing the coaches from an Indian manufacturer. India’s state-owned RITES Limited emerged as the successful bidder with a proposal worth around $111.26 million, or Rs 915 crore. According to RITES, the company secured the contract through global competitive bidding.

The contract for supplying the 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches was signed between Bangladesh Railway and RITES at Rail Bhaban in Dhaka on 20 May 2024. The contract value was approximately Tk1,205.54 crore. The project is being financed jointly by the Bangladesh government and the European Investment Bank.

Under the agreement, RITES is responsible not only for supplying the coaches but also for providing technical assistance related to design, spare parts and training. The contract allows 36 months for supply and commissioning, followed by a 24-month warranty period.

The procurement, however, did not move forward immediately after the project was approved. More than two years passed between the project’s approval in March 2022 and the signing of the contract in May 2024.

Zaidul Islam, the project director at the time, attributed the delay to issues including the appointment of a project director and consultant, as well as securing approval from the European Investment Bank.

At the time of signing the contract, it was stated that delivery would begin within 20 months of the effective date of the agreement, with the entire consignment scheduled to be supplied and commissioned within 36 months.

After the prolonged process, RCF Kapurthala has now manufactured the first batch of 19 coaches. The consignment comprises three AC sleeper coaches, three AC chair cars, 11 non-AC chair cars and two power cars.

Built using modern LHB technology, the coaches come with a range of safety and passenger-comfort features, including advanced crash-safety systems, strengthened roof structures, CCTV cameras, specialised seating arrangements, baby-care rooms and prayer rooms.

The coaches have also been designed to operate with Bangladesh Railway’s 415-volt electrical system, according to the project specifications.

The coaches will travel from Kapurthala through Ranaghat and Gede in India before entering Bangladesh through the Darshana border. They are then expected to be handed over to Bangladesh Railway at the designated railway interchange point.

Thus, the first consignment will enter Bangladesh using the existing rail connectivity between the two countries.

India previously supplied 120 passenger coaches to Bangladesh Railway during 2015-16. The latest shipment marks the resumption of Indian passenger coach supplies to Bangladesh after an interval of nearly a decade.

Aiming to ease coach shortage

Bangladesh Railway has long been struggling with an ageing fleet of passenger coaches. The primary objective of procuring the 200 new coaches is to replace ageing coaches, improve passenger services and strengthen rail connectivity, particularly in the southwestern region following the opening of the Padma Bridge rail link.

According to reports citing Bangladesh Railway data, around 37% of the 621 broad-gauge coaches in the railway fleet had reached the end of their economic service life in 2024.

Against this backdrop, the arrival of 19 coaches through the Darshana border may be a relatively small first consignment, but it represents the first visible step in implementing the larger 200-coach procurement project.

Once the remaining coaches are delivered in phases as stipulated in the contract, the new fleet is expected to reduce pressure on ageing coaches and create scope for introducing new trains or increasing the number of coaches on existing services, particularly on routes in the southwestern region.

Contacted, railway and Darshana Port officials said they were waiting to receive the coaches at the border.