20pc rise in rail passengers last fiscal
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Md Fazlur Rahman
The number of rail passengers has soared 20 per cent to 65 million in the last fiscal year despite the fact that Bangladesh Railway (BR) is running with age-old locomotives and coaches, officials said Tuesday.
The state-owned BR carried about 6,50,29,000 passengers in 2008-09, earning Tk 2.75 billion in ticket sales, whereas about 5,38,16,000 passengers travelled by train in the previous fiscal (2007-08).
The BR's income has also increased, as in the 2008-09 fiscal year it earned Tk 5.83 billion against Tk 5.81 billion of 2007-08, BR officials said.
BR Director General Md Belayet Hossain said: "It is an encouraging sign that the number of passengers is increasing every year. The number would have been higher, if we had more locomotives and coaches."
He said the BR immediately needs 10 locomotives to improve its services. "260 coaches will be refurbished within a short time. Once that is done, we will be able to operate new trains, taking services to more people," he told the FE.
"We have plans to buy new locomotives and coaches in the current fiscal," he also said.
The BR procured 10 locomotives last time in 2005 with financial assistance of Economic Development Cooperation Fund of Korea. It bought around 90 coaches in 2007-08.
Hossain said the government has already approved seven projects worth Tk 26.95 billion after assuming power in January to improve the rail services. "We hope the situation will improve after the completion of these projects," he said.
The BR chief said a rail reform programme funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is going on. "Under the programme, we are replacing single track with duel track."
A few more lines will be added to the country's existing routes of 2,835.04 kilometres, he said.
He said the BR could not be turned into a profit-making institution, as it lacks proper infrastructure facilities.
"We don't have adequate number of locomotives and carriages. Besides, we are spending a lot on maintenance. It will take time to improve the situation. But we are hopeful, as the government has already made clear its plans to modernise the railway system."
Officials said many of the BR's locomotives and passenger coaches have already passed their average economic life.
The BR has now 286 train engines. Of them, over 45 per cent are 35-year-old, while the average economic life of a locomotive is 20 years. Some serving engines were even procured before the country's independence.
Out of the 1,400 coaches, about 65 per cent is available for regular use, while the rest are awaiting maintenance.
The number of rail passengers has soared 20 per cent to 65 million in the last fiscal year despite the fact that Bangladesh Railway (BR) is running with age-old locomotives and coaches, officials said Tuesday.
The state-owned BR carried about 6,50,29,000 passengers in 2008-09, earning Tk 2.75 billion in ticket sales, whereas about 5,38,16,000 passengers travelled by train in the previous fiscal (2007-08).
The BR's income has also increased, as in the 2008-09 fiscal year it earned Tk 5.83 billion against Tk 5.81 billion of 2007-08, BR officials said.
BR Director General Md Belayet Hossain said: "It is an encouraging sign that the number of passengers is increasing every year. The number would have been higher, if we had more locomotives and coaches."
He said the BR immediately needs 10 locomotives to improve its services. "260 coaches will be refurbished within a short time. Once that is done, we will be able to operate new trains, taking services to more people," he told the FE.
"We have plans to buy new locomotives and coaches in the current fiscal," he also said.
The BR procured 10 locomotives last time in 2005 with financial assistance of Economic Development Cooperation Fund of Korea. It bought around 90 coaches in 2007-08.
Hossain said the government has already approved seven projects worth Tk 26.95 billion after assuming power in January to improve the rail services. "We hope the situation will improve after the completion of these projects," he said.
The BR chief said a rail reform programme funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is going on. "Under the programme, we are replacing single track with duel track."
A few more lines will be added to the country's existing routes of 2,835.04 kilometres, he said.
He said the BR could not be turned into a profit-making institution, as it lacks proper infrastructure facilities.
"We don't have adequate number of locomotives and carriages. Besides, we are spending a lot on maintenance. It will take time to improve the situation. But we are hopeful, as the government has already made clear its plans to modernise the railway system."
Officials said many of the BR's locomotives and passenger coaches have already passed their average economic life.
The BR has now 286 train engines. Of them, over 45 per cent are 35-year-old, while the average economic life of a locomotive is 20 years. Some serving engines were even procured before the country's independence.
Out of the 1,400 coaches, about 65 per cent is available for regular use, while the rest are awaiting maintenance.