Heavy fog disrupts train schedule

Train schedule on the country's northern and southern parts have been shattered during the last few days mainly due to prevailing heavy fog that took several additional hours to reach destinations from Dhaka.
The highest delay in train operation is recorded seven hours putting the passengers including children and elderly people in unbearable sufferings amid fall of temperature, sources said.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) officials said most the trains on BR's western zone could not maintain time since all trains ran much slower than the normal speed for poor visibility on their ways.
They said delayed schedule has also reflected on all connecting trains.
BR runs trains on an average 50 to 60 kilometres per hour against the 85 kilometres per hour capacity due to poor condition of rail tracks.
As the western zone has mainly single-lane track from Tongi, the state-run train operator cannot use its normal speed due to frequent stoppages to pass different trains.
Mia Jahan, additional director general (Operation), told the FE that they have instructed the locomasters to keep the speed low in case visibility is lost within 200 yards.
"They sometimes had to keep speed at zero and blew frequent whistles to avert accidents," he added.
Mr Jahan also said the trains on the southern and northern parts of the country also face problems in smooth running due to closure of more than 100 stations.
According to Monday's trains record, Chittra Express reached Khulna from Dhaka seven hours late on Monday, Kurigram Express on Dhaka-Kurigram route was late for six hours and 30 minutes, Sundarban Express on Dhaka-Khulna route four hours and 40 minutes, Panchagarh Express on Dhaka-Panchagarh route three hours and 30 minutes and both Benapole Express on Dhaka-Benapole route and Drutojan Express on Dhaka-Dinajpur route three hours behind their schedules.
Dhumketu Express on Dhaka-Rajshahi route and Ekota Express on Dhaka-Dinajpur route ran around one hour late behind their schedules.
Though the BR has taken various development projects to improve the train operations and services, but most of the projects are focused on developing track capacity of eastern zone.
The rail authorities operates nearly 18 trains from Dhaka touching more or less 15 stations in north, northwestern, south and southwestern districts under western zone.
The BR runs all its trains, dividing the country into two zones-eastern and western.
Train schedule usually is hit during Eid holidays as it has to increase the number of trains to manage home-bound passengers.

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