Bangladesh Railway (BR) is struggling with 30 substandard class 3000 locomotives imported from Korea, with nearly half of them often out of service due to technical issues and a shortage of spare parts.
To address the ongoing faulty locomotive maintenance crisis, the Korean government is set to implement a grant-funded project titled "Improvement Project of Rolling Stock Management and Maintenance for Bangladesh."
The initiative comes in response to the deteriorating performance of the 30 Hyundai Rotem locomotives, imported at a cost of Tk 11.48 billion, which started breaking down just two years after their arrival, said a senior BR official.
The proposed project, funded by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea, aims to enhance BR's operational efficiency through sustainable maintenance of rolling stock.
It includes the provision of 38 modern machines and equipment for locomotive testing, development of skilled manpower through local and overseas training, and the establishment of standard maintenance practices.
Railway officials acknowledged that the Korean government offered this support after BR failed to properly maintain the class 3000 locomotives.
However, the additional director general (rolling stock) of BR noted that the equipment list remained insufficient and recommended including more high-value tools.
On the other hand, the Korean agency claimed that local technicians were unfamiliar with these locomotives featuring microprocessor-based engines and traction control systems, leading to the engines facing frequent breakdowns and remaining idle due to a lack of expertise and spare parts.
Out of the 30 locomotives, 10 of which were funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and 20 by Korea's Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), at least five have already been taken out of service, while half remain under service at any given time.
The failure to effectively operate and maintain the engines has exposed serious capacity gaps within the state-run railway operator.
"The project will directly help increase the number of operational metre-gauge locomotives, enabling more passenger trains and improved services," a senior railway official told The Financial Express.
He added that reducing locomotive failures would not only boost revenues but also lower overall maintenance costs.
The project's total estimated cost stands at Tk 597.28 million. Of this, Tk 48.05 million will be funded by the Bangladesh government, while Tk 449.23 million will come as a grant from Korea.
MOLIT has already approved a $3.67 million grant, and a record of discussion (RoD) has been signed between Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the Korean government.
As per the Bangladesh Railway's master plan, additional rolling stock procurement is in the pipeline. This project is expected to build the technical foundation necessary to ensure sustainable maintenance as new locomotives are added to the fleet, the proposal reveals.
During a project scrutiny meeting chaired by Railways Secretary Md Fahimul Islam in February, the need for a properly prepared and comprehensive list of equipment was stressed.
The BR director general emphasised aligning the procurement with actual requirements. The Mechanical Division later submitted a revised list of essential tools, prioritising items that fit within the grant budget.
Despite this corrective step, the additional director general (rolling stock) noted that the equipment list remained insufficient.
The director general recommended including more high-value tools, while the meeting's chair instructed to finalise the list in consultation with the Mechanical Division and then include in the project.
The project is now directly tied to the 30 locomotive procurement initiative and seen as a crucial step in salvaging both the costly engines and the credibility of Bangladesh Railway's maintenance operations, said the Korean counterpart.
Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, a civil engineering professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), called the project "a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul," questioning how a Tk 449.23 million grant could compensate for the massive loss that resulted from supplying 30 substandard locomotives worth Tk 11.48 billion.
He said while the railway network in the country is shifting towards broad-gauge and dual-gauge, the procurement of meter-gauge locomotives should have been limited.
Moreover, their excessive weight restricts operation on many lines, and being low-speed engines, they are more prone to breakdowns with limited repair options, Hoque, also the director at BUET's Accident Research Institute (ARI), said.
Moreover, these locomotives built with low-quality engines frequently break down, leaving little scope for effective repair, he added.
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