The Planning Commission (PC) has turned down a fresh and costly railway workshop-construction project as it finds two other existing ones underutilised, officials said on Friday.
The commission has recently sent back the Sheikh Hasina-led government's Tk 76.83-billion project proposal for "building of a new carriage and wagon maintenance workshop in Rajbari", they said.
It has recommended the Bangladesh Railway (BR) for upgrading the existing two railway workshops in Saidpur of Nilphamari and Pahartoli of Chattogram.
The Ministry of Railway (MoR) has taken an initiative to upgrade the capacity of both the workshops through modernising its technical aspects in a bid to produce carriages.
"Currently, the workshops conduct maintenance work. Now, we have planned to modernise those aimed at assembling and producing rolling stocks," Railway Secretary Abdul Baki told the FE.
"We're discussing with some development partners for getting their support. We'll conduct sophisticated feasibility study first and then go for overhauling both the existing workshops," he said.
When asked about the fresh workshop setting up project in Rajbari, Mr Baki said they would modernise the existing two workshops first and then would think about the next one in the future if needed.
A senior PC official said: "The railway ministry sent a Tk 76.83-billion project proposal for building a fresh railway carriage and wagon workshop in Rajbari. We have sent it back to the ministry suggesting putting it on hold."
We had rather suggested that the ministry go for detailed feasibility on the existing two workshops in a bid to modernise their capacity, he added.
"More than century-old Saidpur workshop and Pahartoli workshop are very old and not well-equipped. So, the government's first priority is to modernise their facilities so that the workshop can even manufacture carriages for the country's railway fleet," said a member at the PC.
Bangladesh's existing two railway workshops have almost been lifeless due to lack of renovation and upgradation with modern equipment and facilities.
The country's oldest Saidpur Workshop was established in 1870 with a metre-gauge steam locomotive repair shed on a 110-acre land.
With the installation of plants and machines to repair metre- and broad-gauge carriage and wagon, the workshop became fully equipped in 1953. Since then, even after the emergence of Bangladesh, the workshop has seen no significant development. Moreover, downsizing its manpower started since 1991.
The Saidpur workshop is not merely a repair shed. More than 1,000 items of spare parts for carriage and wagon are manufactured at its separate sub-shops for boiler, smithy, foundry, and production engineering purposes.
The workshop even can manufacture spare parts and tools, saving millions of taka every year.
The BR under a Tk 1.22-billion cost project (phase-1) has already modernised the Saidpur railway workshop. The project was implemented between March 2009 and June 20213.
In 1947, Pahartali workshop was establishment in the BR's eastern zone for repair, maintenance and renovate of the wagons and carriages.
But, its machinery became outdated in course of time. As a result, the ramshackle state has been hampering the maintenance works.
Pahartali carriage and wagon repair workshop had also been modernised spending Tk2.17 billion cost in June 2017.
Divisional Superintendent (workshop) Mostafa Zakir Hassan of the Saidpur Workshop told the FE that there will be feasibility study before taking up the modernisation of their workshop.
"Actually the ministry is working on it. After a feasibility study they will take up a project to upgrade the capacity of the workshop."
Currently, the Saidpur workshop is running with lower number of manpower and do not have mode and adequate facility for assembling rolling stocks, Mr Mostafa said.
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