BR finally selects Turkish firm for electric traction conversion study

Seven years after the initiative was taken to convert railway operation into electric traction, the Bangladesh Railway (BR) has finally appointed a Turkish consulting firm to conduct the feasibility study and detailed design in this connection.
An agreement was signed with TUMAS Turkish Engineering Consulting and Contracting Company (TTECCC) at Rail Bhaban on Sunday in the presence of Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujon.
Under the Tk 80.30 million contract, the firm will conduct the study and detailed design for a year for introducing electric traction including overhead catenary and sub-station in between Narayanganj-Dhaka-Chattogram and Tongi-Joydevpur section.
BR's East Chief Electrical Engineer Mohammad Habibur Rahman and Director of International Business Development of TRCCC Ismail Heydarli signed the agreement on behalf of the respective sides.
Railway Secretary Mohammad Humayun Kabir, Director General Quamrul Ahsan and other senior officials of the ministry and BR were also present.
The BR, which has been operating the train services through diesel, has taken the move to convert the diesel locomotives into electric traction in 2015 following a directive from the Prime Minister. It was expected the electric traction conversion will bring a radical change in train operation by reducing cost and travel time.
However, the initiative was shelved till 2019 at the Planning Commission, though the first PEC meeting on the development project proposal (DPP) was held three years ago.
Although the DPP was approved in December 2021, the BR took one and a half years to select the consulting firm.
When asked about the delay, the Project Director and also Chief Electrical Engineer (East) told the FE that the process of contractor selection was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and some internal matters.
The BR plans to introduce the electric traction on both the east and west zones in two projects after the feasibility studies and detailed design work are done.
An official of BR said the electric traction system will reduce the railway operational cost by two-thirds from the current level.
He also said Electric traction is economical, traffic growth-oriented as well as green compared to other modes of vehicles. It will also improve train speeds and cut down travel time by 10 to 15 per cent.
Though the conversion is less expensive, sources said the BR would need to replace locomotives with electric ones.

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