Increasing BR's AC and first class

The per capita income in Bangladesh has crossed USD 1,700. Purchasing capacity of people has enhanced also. Beside other things, people these days want comfortable rail journey. But this is still not possible with the existing number and bad condition of trains in Bangladesh Railway (BR). As such, millions of passengers travel by buses both for local and out-of-the-city destinations. They do this although bus fares are comparatively higher than the train tickets. They have no alternatives.

The government has increased the train fare this year, which is still less than that of buses. As BR was incurring a huge loss, increasing the train fare was a rational move. A train travel is safer than a bus journey. Many people like to travel by train. But most affluent passengers do not travel by trains as air-conditioned (AC) and first class seats are very limited compared to the demand.

Fortunately, the present government has initiated plans to expand and upgrade train service after more than four decades. As more coaches and engines are being imported, the authorities concerned should also import AC and first class passenger coaches to increase the BR income and improve its service quality.

Md. Ashraf Hossain

120, Central Bashabo, Dhaka

[email protected]