Move to reschedule train timetables

Munima Sultana | Published: May 16, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has started improving its image by maintaining schedule in running trains faster than a few months ago, officials said.
Due to the improvement of timetable, they said, BR has taken a move to reschedule the train journey time in the coming months.
Sources said BR in its meeting on May 2 reviewed the progress of train timetable including maintaining of starting time of intercity and local trains and saw significant progress in this regard.
"Both starting time of train journey and total journey time have improved due to upgradation of the rail tracks and signalling system in some portions of the railway's east and west zones," an official said. He also said trains in many cases travel at a speed of 100 kilometres per hour from present 75 to 80 km.
According to the monthly review meeting, all intercity, mail and local trains maintained 91.5 per cent, 80 per cent and 85.5 per cent of its schedules respectively in February. In January, these trains maintained 89.5 per cent, 77.5 per cent and 85 per cent of its schedules respectively.
"In case of some train services, up to 93 per cent of train timetable could be maintained," an official said. He, however, admitted that train schedules cannot be maintained properly in the current situation.
BR, the state-owned train operator, maintain the entire rail network of the country with mostly single-track metre gauge lines. It operates 341 trains and more than 100 container trains and earns Tk 2.5 billion a year.
Under its 20-year master plan, BR has taken several steps to improve train services across the country.
Feroz Salah Uddin, secretary of the Ministry of Railway, said due to construction of Tongi-Bhairab and Laksam-Chinki Astana double lines, trains can travel on Dhaka-Chittagong rail line at a speed of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
At present, BR has no signal failure which also helped it maintain train schedule, he added. The secretary, however, admitted that due to lack of manpower including stationmaster and engine related problems, it could not be possible for them to improve all train services.
Meeting sources said due to lack of manpower and improved rail tracks along a rail corridor, the same speed along a rail track cannot be maintained. They said trains can run at a speed of 100 kmph on Tongi-Bhairab, Laksam-Chinki Astana and Parbatipur-Abdullahpur sections of Dhaka-Chittagong track. Â
Meanwhile, BR in its meeting took decision to reduce travel time of trains running on Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Rajshahi lines by at least one hour. It also proposed reducing travel time for Dhaka-Chittagong intercity train Subarna Express to 4 hours and 30 minutes from current five hours while that of Dhaka-Rajshahi train to four hours from six hours.
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