Railway West Zone doubles train services on some routes

Our Correspondent

RAJSHAHI, July 27: Daily train services on various routes of Railway West zone have almost doubled considering the rising number of passengers.

Meanwhile, some train passengers complained that without ensuring a secured railway track and safety of passengers, operation of excessive trains beyond the route-capacity by the west zone railway put the lives of passengers at risk. According to a source of west zone railway, with the present capacity, 22 trains can be operated daily through railway tracks of the zone. But, now 50 trains including passenger ones, goods trains and fuel tankers are being operated daily putting an extra pressure on tracks.

It is alleged that despite a regular allocation and spending of a huge amount of money for the purpose of repair and renovation of Rajshahi railway tracks every year, many portions of the route have become risky for the movement of trains.

Considering the risk, the speed of the trains has been made limited to 75 km per hour. The recent import of several passenger train compartments from abroad was suited to run at high speed but those cannot run at such speed due to the dilapidated condition of the railway tracks. Moreover, many of the tracks being single gauged or single lines, trains are needed to wait in various stations for crossings or passing away of trains from the opposite directions which cause a disruption in train schedules. The single line 40-km Rajshahi-Abdulpur junction route was last repaired and temporarily renovated in 2001. Despite the renovation, rail lines and sleepers of this route have not been changed though they are 50 to 60- year- old.

Khondker Shahidul Islam, general manager of the West Zone Railway informed, considering the increased pressure of passengers, new train services have been introduced on Rajshahi routes that is causing an extra pressure on rail tracks. He further said a new line would soon be installed on the Rajshahi-Abdulpur route. [email protected]