Bangladesh Railways is set to add new luxurious carriages to its fleet soon, as the first consignment of 20 modern coaches out of 270 that the government is procuring  arrived on March 22.

The government is buying 120 broad gauge carriages from India and 150 more from Indonesia, of which 100 are meter gauge and 50 broad gauge, approximately Tk 2,000 crore. These coaches will arrive within this year and will be added in phases.

Kamal Krishna Bhattacharyya, additional secretary of the railways ministry said the carriages would be arriving every month from now on. Shashi Kumar Singha, additional secretary (planning and development) of the ministry said Tk 976 crore of the Indian Line of Credit would be spent to buy 120 broad gauge coaches from India while Asian Development Bank funded Tk 1,130 crore would be spent to buy 150 coaches from Indonesia. 

"The first consignment have been tested by our experts…Everything is satisfactory as agreed with the Indian company," said Md Feroz Salah Uddin, railways secretary. "Our rail coaches are old and can't be repaired properly due to the shortage of coaches. Once new carriages are added, we will be able to repair the old ones thoroughly and then the service will increase significantly," he added. Consignment from Indonesia has already been shipped, he said.  

Out of 120 Indian Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, 17 are air-conditioned first class cars, 17 are AC chair, 34 are non-AC with pantries, 33 are non-AC with prayer rooms and 19 are power car coaches. The manufacturing of stainless steel LHB broad gauge coaches is ongoing at the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala in northern Indian state of Punjab.

Our Nilphamari Correspondent reports that the first consignment of the 20 coaches' painted green and red similar to Bangladesh national flag entered the country through bordering Dorshana Rail Station of Jessore and made a halt at Saidpur Rail Station.

Divisional superintendent (DS) of Saidpur rail workshop Nur Ahmed Hossain accompanied by works manager Kudrot-e-Khoda and other high officials received the coaches. Of them, three are AC berth, six are AC chair, eight are non-AC chair and three are power cars. Indian officials and staff arriving with the coaches informed that these coaches are equipped with arrangements for disabled people, wide doors, windows, modern toilets and amusement facilities.