India Dispatches First 18 Coaches Under Tk915 Crore Bangladesh Railway Deal

India has dispatched the first batch of 18 passenger coaches out of the 200 ordered by Bangladesh Railway under a Rs 915 crore agreement, with deliveries scheduled to continue until December 2027.

The coaches were dispatched from India's Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, according to RITES Limited, the export arm of Indian Railways. The initial shipment comprises four of the seven coach variants covered by the contract: 11 non-air-conditioned Shovon chair cars, three air-conditioned chair cars, two air-conditioned sleeper coaches and two air-conditioned power cars. The power cars feature separate accommodation for guards and dedicated luggage space.

RITES announced the dispatch through a post on the social media platform X, describing it as another milestone in the company's export operations.

Designed to improve passenger comfort, the coaches feature reclining seats fitted with stainless steel armrests and footrests. Other facilities include fans in air-conditioned coaches, closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, passenger alarm systems, partially openable windows, baby care rooms and prayer rooms.

The coaches also feature reinforced roof structures designed to withstand additional loads under Bangladesh's specific operating conditions, where passengers sometimes travel on train rooftops during peak periods.

Their electrical systems have been customised to meet Bangladesh Railway's requirements. Unlike Indian Railways coaches, which generally operate on a 750-volt power system, the coaches supplied to Bangladesh are designed to use 415 volts.

Financed by the European Investment Bank, the project will see all 200 coaches delivered to Bangladesh Railway between October 2026 and December 2027. The new additions are expected to support the modernisation of the country's ageing passenger train fleet.

RCF and Bangladesh Railway have an established history of cooperation. During the 2015–16 fiscal year, RCF supplied 120 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) broad-gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh.

Building on that partnership, Bangladesh Railway placed a fresh order through RITES in 2024 for 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches in seven different configurations.

RITES, a public-sector engineering and consultancy company operating under India's Ministry of Railways, has more than five decades of experience in transport infrastructure. The company exports railway products and services to over 55 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.