BR plans to carry 0.21m passengers a day by early \\\'16

Bangladesh Railway (BR) will be able to carry 40,000 more passengers a day by early 2016 as it has taken a set of measures, including the introduction of new coaches, setting up of new rail routes and renovation of some older but dysfunctional ones, said officials, reports UNB.
Currently, 336 trains running on different routes across the country can carry 0.17 million passengers a day, and with the operation of special trains and attachment of new bogies during Eid, the daily passenger carrying capacity of the trains rises to 0.25 million.
Talking to UNB, BR director general Tofazzal Hossain said they are working to increase the daily passenger carrying capacity of trains to 0.21 million either at the end of 2013 or in the beginning of 2014.
BR has already procured 26 broad gauge and 20 meter gauge engines in the last two years, and is undergoing the process to procure 120 broad gauge and 100 meter gauge coaches more to increase the capacity of its trains, he said.
Besides, BR has taken initiatives to expand the existing 2,877-kilometre railway network spread across the country.
As part of the initiatives, a 58-km Khulna-Mongla route and a 40-km Kashiani-Gopalganj-Tungipara route will be set up very soon.

Contacted, Railway Minister Mazibul Hoque said they have taken up short-, mid- and long-term plans to meet the demands of the growing number of train passengers and added that initiatives have been takento procure new coaches and expand rail lines in new areas.
Once new coaches are attached with the existing bogies of the trains, the carrying capacity of trains will increase and thereby the demands of passengers will be met.
The minister said the already closed railway stations will be reopened by turns resolving their manpower crisis. "Manpower will be recruited to different levels in phases," he said.
Mazibul Hoque said they have taken all kinds of measures to ensure hassle-free journeys of homebound people on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
"New coaches and locomotives are being connected with the trains while old bogies and engines are being repaired ahead of the Eid."
Initiatives have also been taken to resume train communication on different closed routes, including the one stretching from Kalokhali to Bhatiapara, he said, adding that Jessore-Benapole route where train communication remained suspended has been re-opened recently.
Some single routes, including Tongi-Bhairab, Akhaura-Laksam will be transformed into double-line ones, he added.
Sources at the railway head office said the life span of most of the coaches and bogies of BR has expired, though those are being used on repair.
BR has 1,489 coaches, including 1,165 meter gauge and 328 broad gauge ones.
Among 454 railway stations across the country, the operations of 122 ones have remained totally suspended while 75 are being run partially.
According to the sources, the operation of the already closed stations cannot be resumed for various reasons, including manpower crisis, although the sufferings of train passengers have been mounting day by day.
The operation of trains on various routes, including Narsingdi-Madanganj, Shayestaganj-Balla, Shayestaganj-Habiganj routes have remained closed since 2000.
Only 25 station managers have been appointed since 2005, all of whom are now on training, they said, adding that the government will have to appoint over 500 station managers to resume the operation of the closed stations.
Besides, equipment and structures of the closed stations have been damaged for lack of proper maintenance.