Staff Reporter | AdChannel24.com

Publication Date: October 17, 2026

Eighteen new broad-gauge passenger rail coaches imported from India have arrived at the Saidpur Railway Workshop in Nilphamari, Bangladesh. The coaches reached the workshop at around 4:00 am on Saturday, October 17. This is the first consignment under an agreement between Bangladesh and India for the supply of 200 broad-gauge rail coaches. The coaches are expected to be added to the Bangladesh Railway fleet after completing technical inspections, commissioning, and trial runs.

According to railway sources, the new coaches were manufactured at a railway coach factory in Kapurthala, Punjab, India. They began their journey from India, passed through Ranaghat in West Bengal, and entered Bangladesh through the Darshana international railway route in Chuadanga. After arriving in Darshana on Friday, October 16, and completing the necessary formalities, the coaches were sent to the Saidpur Railway Workshop.

The first consignment consists of four types of coaches. These include 11 non-air-conditioned Shovon Chair coaches, three air-conditioned chair coaches, two air-conditioned sleeper coaches, and two air-conditioned power cars. According to reports, the power cars include separate compartments for guards and facilities for carrying passengers' luggage.

As part of the initiative to expand the Bangladesh Railway fleet, the coaches are being procured through India's RITES Limited. Under the agreement, a total of 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches are scheduled to be brought into Bangladesh in phases. Following the arrival of the first 18 coaches, the remaining 182 coaches are expected to arrive in subsequent consignments. However, no confirmed dates have been announced for the arrival of the remaining coaches.

The Saidpur Railway Workshop authorities have stated that the newly arrived coaches will first be opened for inspection and undergo the necessary mechanical tests. Their suitability for operation on Bangladesh's railway network will then be assessed, followed by commissioning and trial runs. Workshop officials, employees, and workers are expected to participate in the process, with technical experts from India also planned to be involved.

Shah Sufi Nur Mohammad, divisional superintendent of the Saidpur Railway Workshop, told Ajker Patrika that the coaches had not yet been opened for inspection after arriving at the workshop. He said they would soon be opened and examined to determine their suitability for Bangladesh's railway network. After the mechanical inspections and trial runs are completed, the coaches will be handed over to the Traffic Department.

Railway officials believe that adding the new coaches to passenger services could help expand the existing Bangladesh Railway fleet. The initiative may increase passenger-carrying capacity on broad-gauge routes and help address the demand for coaches on various services. However, no confirmed announcement has been made regarding which trains or routes will receive the new coaches.

Sheikh Robayetur Rahman, general secretary of the Saidpur Workshop branch of the Railway Workers' Union, has called for the introduction of an intercity train on the Chilahati–Cox's Bazar tourist route using the new coaches. He believes that adding the coaches to the railway fleet promptly after the necessary inspections could help ease the shortage of coaches. However, this is his proposal, and no final decision by the railway authorities regarding the launch of a new train on the route has been confirmed.

The initiative to procure 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway is being viewed as a step toward strengthening the country's rail transport capacity. Before the new coaches enter service, their mechanical safety, operational suitability, and compliance with the required technical standards must be verified. Therefore, the next steps toward passenger service will be taken after the necessary inspections, commissioning, and trial runs have been completed.

The arrival of the first 18 coaches at the Saidpur Railway Workshop marks the beginning of the next stage of preparation for their eventual use in Bangladesh's railway network. The key issues now are how quickly the inspection and commissioning processes can be completed and when the coaches will begin regular passenger services. The extent to which the new coaches improve passenger services and increase railway capacity will depend on their effective deployment and the operational plans for the relevant routes.