Bangladesh Railway's (BR) plan to overhaul its controversial DEMU (diesel-electric multiple unit) trains imported from China after successful repair of one train has been shelved as the high-ups are less interested in anymore investment in the failed project.
The BR planned to overhaul 14 DEMU trains after its mechanical section's success in repairing one set train out all inoperative 14 trains with an innovative technology in 2020. The BR claimed it would save over Tk450 million.
However, sources said since then no initiative was taken to continue the work and all 20 imported sets of DEMU have now been dumped in different workshops.
They said the BR took the initiative to repair 14 inoperative trains to lessen level of criticism it faced by importing DEMU trains from China as it turned out of order soon after the import in 2013. "Repair of DEMU was an instant idea after successful repair," said an official preferring not to be named.
The BR imported 20 sets of trains from Tangshan Railway Vehicle Company of China in 2013 spending Tk 6.5 billion which the officials said were supposed to be operative for 35 years.
The state-owned rail operator was able to operate one set after its engineers and technician under the supervision of an engineer of BUET overhauled it by changing the controlling system with a new module prepared by locally available materials.
After overhauling, the train was run in Lalmonirhat line for a while through inauguration by Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon on October 10, 2020. Six DEMU trains at that time could be made operative by motor car (MC) in Dhaka, Chattorgram and Lalmonirhat lines. Official sources said overhauling work cost Tk5.0 million only for the first set against the Chinese supplier's demand of Tk55 million. Though a plan was taken to assess the condition of all other DEMU trains, it was not worked out later.
The sources added said the Ministry of Railways as well as the high-ups are less interested in the project to revive the condition.
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