Bangladesh to Receive 18 Indian-Made Railway Coaches This Afternoon

The first consignment of 18 modern broad-gauge railway coaches supplied under an agreement between Bangladesh Railway and India’s Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) is scheduled to enter Bangladesh through Darshana International Railway Station in Chuadanga on Friday afternoon.

The coaches are expected to arrive at the Darshana border around 1:30pm before being transported to the Saidpur Railway Workshop following the completion of customs formalities.

Mamunur Rashid, station manager of Darshana International Railway Station, said the coaches were manufactured in Kapurthala, Punjab, and began their journey to Bangladesh on October 12.

The coaches are currently stationed at Ranaghat Junction Railway Station in West Bengal. After completing the necessary formalities at Gede in India, they will cross into Bangladesh through the Joynagar border point in Darshana, he added.

The consignment consists of 18 coaches: three air-conditioned sleeper coaches, three air-conditioned chair cars, 11 non-air-conditioned chair cars and one power car.

According to Mamunur Rashid, the coaches will undergo the necessary inspections and technical assessments upon reaching the Saidpur Railway Workshop. Preparations will then be made to incorporate them into passenger train services.