Bangladesh RailwayBangladesh Railway , accessed 8 Apr 2025. () is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Railway was not established under a specific new act, but rather operates under the framework of The Railways Act, 1890 (Act No. IX of 1890). It operates and maintains all railways in the country, and is overseen by the Directorate General of Bangladesh Railway. The Bangladesh Railway is governed by the Ministry of Railways and the Bangladesh Railway Authority with a reporting mark known as "BR".
The Bangladesh Railway system has a total length of . In 2009, it had 34,168 employees working for the operations. In the year 2014, Bangladesh Railway recorded a ridership of 65 million passengers for a total of 8,135 million passenger-kilometres, and transported 2.52 million tonnes of freight racking up to 677 million tonne-kilometres.
History
Rail transport in Bangladesh (formerly known as British India and then East Pakistan) began on 15 November 1862, when 53.11 km of (broad gauge) line was opened between Darshana in Chuadanga District and Jogotee in Kushtia District. On 1 January 1871, an extension of the Darshana-Jogotee Railway line was made up to Goalanda by Eastern Bengal Railway. On 4 January 1885, a further 14.98 km and (metre gauge) line was opened. In 1891, the Bengal Assam Railway was constructed with the assistance of the government and later managed by the Bengal Assam Railway Company.
On 1 July 1895, two sections of metre gauge railway were constructed by English railway companies. One railway connected Chattogram and Comilla, with a distance of . Another was the connection built between Laksam Upazila and Chandpur, with a distance of .
In 1947, at the time of the Partition of India, the Bengal Assam Railway was divided into two parts. The 2,603.92 km of track located in East Pakistan came under the control of the central Government of Pakistan. On 1 February 1961, the Eastern Bengal Railway was renamed the Pakistan Eastern Railway. In 1962, control of the Pakistan Eastern Railway was transferred to the Government of East Pakistan. On 9 June 1962, by order of the president, the Pakistan Eastern Railway management was assumed by a Railway Board.
As of 2005, the total length of the Bangladesh Railway is . It was composed of of broad gauge track (mostly in the western region), of metre gauge track (mostly in the central and eastern regions) and of dual gauge track. In 1998, the Jamuna Bridge was built to connect the previously divided east and west rail networks in dual gauge.
Bangladesh is currently converting its railway system to a dual-gauge system to enable both broad-gauge and meter-gauge trains to run. It is also developing extensive railway transport relations with India. With the Bangladeshi and Indian governments working side by side, at least 9 International Rail Transit Systems (IRTS) have come up presently in Bangladesh. They are as follows: - Kolkata-Darsana-Iswardi-Dhaka; Kolkata-Bangaon-Jessore-Khulna; New Jalpaiguri-Haldibari-Chilahati-Iswardi-Dhaka; Changrabandha-Burimari-Lalmonirhat-Teesta-Kaunia-Parbatipur; Parbatipur-Dinajpur-Birol-Radhikapur-Raiganj-Barsoi; Badarpur-Karimganj-Maishasan-Shabazpur-Kulaura-Sylhet/Chittagong; Agartala-Akhaura-Dhaka/Chittagong; Old Malda-Singhabad-Rohanpur-Rajshahi; Eklakhi-Balurghat-Hili. While routes 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 are already operational, routes 4 and 6 are being restored, with routes 7 and 9 currently nearing construction completion.
In 2010, funding was received for a bridge over the Titas River. In September 2010, the Government of Bangladesh approved ten rail development projects costing 19·9 billion Bangladeshi taka including plans for new tracks and rolling stock. To bolster the bilateral ties between India and Bangladesh, the Ministry of Railways in India has supplied 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives to its eastern neighbour, thus contributing to the railway infrastructure of Bangladesh. These locomotives have been appropriately modified by the Indian side to align with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway. The provision of these locomotives will aid in managing the growing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh, thereby supporting the enhancement of its railway system. It is worth noting that previously, in June 2020, the Indian Government had granted 10 locomotives to Bangladesh, further contributing to the improvement of its railways.
In 2011, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh, officiated at the start of construction of a link that would cross several rivers to reach Cox's Bazar. The of dual-gauge line started from the railhead at Dohazari, southeast of Chittagong. The plan was to reach Satkania, Dulahazra, Chakarin, Edgaon, Ramu, and Cox's Bazar, with four major river bridges and a branch from Ramu to Gundum. In 2013, the Chhattogram Circular Railway was completed.
In 2015, construction of a branch to Agartala, Tripura in Northeast India commenced. In 2017, land acquisition took place to facilitate the construction.
In 2022, construction of the long Padma Bridge was completed and the bridge was thrown open after inauguration by Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to connect Dhaka with Faridpur via Narayanganj.
Structure
From the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 until 1982, the railway was governed by a Railway Board. It then came under the Railway Division of the Ministry of Communications. The Director General of the railway was the Secretary of the Railway Division of the Ministry of Communications. In 1995, governance of the railway was assumed by the "Bangladesh Railway Authority" which was chaired by the Minister of Railways. Inspections are made by an external government authority.
The features of Bangladesh Railway include the usage of several gauges and the division of the rail system by the Jamuna River, Brahmaputra into the Western Zone and the Eastern Zone of operations. Crossing the river is one bridge, the Jamuna Bridge which was completed in 2003.
The East Zone and the West Zone each have a General Manager who answers to the Director General of the Railway Authority. Each zone has its own raft of departments for operation, maintenance, and finances. Each zone is divided into two divisions with departments for personnel, transportation, commercial, finance mechanical, way and works signalling, telecommunication, electrical and medical services.
The East Zone has a workshop division in Pahartali. The West Zone's workshop division is in Saidpur. The railway has a central locomotive workshop for broad and metre gauge locomotives in Parbatipur. It also has a Railway Training Academy. There are diesel workshops in Pahartali, Dhaka and Parbatipur. Maintenance on coaches and wagons is carried out at the "C and W" shop in Saidpur, Nilphamari and at the "C and W" shop Pahartali.
Employees Bangladesh Railway has a total of 25,083 regular employees as of 2020.
In 1974, they were represented by three registered trade unions, but by 1999 that had multiplied to eight. According to Chittagong University professor of management Md. Abu Taher, this proliferation weakened the unions and undermined solidarity among the workers.
Bangladesh Railway began recruiting women into its top ranks in 2001. Salma Khatun became their first female train driver in 2004 when she joined as an assistant locomaster (ALM). As of 2015, the railway employed 788 ALMs. By 2022, the number of female train drivers had risen to 19. Because of the lack of overnight facilities, and even toilets, for female staff, most prefer the shorter shuttle routes over long distance ones. As of 2019, a total of about two dozen women worked in the railway's mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, stores, traffic, and signals divisions.
Rolling stock Locomotives
Diesel
Bangladesh Railway's fleet of diesel locomotives includes both diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic machines. In 2007, there were 77 broad gauge diesel-electric locomotives. In 2012, Bangladesh Railway ordered 16 new broad gauge locomotives of 3100 hp from Banaras Locomotive Works, India. There were also 208 metre gauge diesel-electric locomotives including those of classes 2000, 2600, 2700, and 2900. The total number was 285.
In 2013, the government purchased 20 sets of diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) trains from China for the first time, aiming to improve short-distance train travel services. However, all 20 DEMU sets have been abandoned ten years later due to lack of maintenance.
In 2019, 40 EMD GT42ACLs were ordered from Progress Rail.Bangladesh taps Progress Rail for GT Series power Railway Age 2 July 2019
On 27 July 2020 and 24 May 2023 Indian Railways (IR) handed over 10 and 20 WDM-3D diesel locomotives to Bangladesh Railway under its "grant assistance" plan. The vehicles cost an estimated ₹600 million ($US 8 million) to manufacture. increases rail connections with Bangladesh Railway Gazette International 27 July 2020
Steam A small number of steam locomotives are preserved in Bangladesh.
LocationClass Builder Wheelarrangement GaugeImage Dhaka Railway HQYD 718 Nippon Sharyo, Japan 2-8-2 Metre gauge Saidpur WorksCS 15 W. G. Bagnall, England 2-4-0T Narrow Gauge Saidpur WorksSGC-2 240 Vulcan Foundry, England 0-6-0 Broad Gauge Paksay Railway HQCB 8 Vulcan Foundry, England 2-4-0T Narrow Gauge Pahartoli WorksCB 7 Vulcan Foundry, England 2-4-0T Narrow Gauge Rajshahi Railway HQHPS 30 Vulcan Foundry, England 4-6-0 Broad Gauge National Scout Training Center, Mouchak, Gazipur RC 233 Kawasaki, Japan 4-6-0 Metre gauge
The 762 mm gauge locomotives are from the RupsaBagerhat railway which was the only 762 mm gauge line in East Pakistan in 1947. It was changed to 1,676 mm gauge in 1970.
Freight and cargo services As a national carrier, Bangladesh Railway is obliged to carry essential commodities such as grain and fertiliser to remote parts of Bangladesh at discounted rates. Bangladesh Railway transports containers from the Port of Chittagong to Dhaka Inland Container Depot, where there are customs facilities. The rolling stock to carry containers was manufactured from existing stock. On 5 August 1991, a container-only train came into service. A goods train operates from Singhabad and Petrapole, India to Rohanpur and Benapole, Bangladesh.
Accidents
On 10 July 2014, a major freight train accident occurred near Faujdarhat Railway Station at 6.30 am. A freight train from Patenga was carrying furnace oil to a power plant, but near Faujdarhat the train derailed and leaked around of furnace oil. Six wagons of the train derailed and oil from three of the wagons flowed into a nearby canal. On 14 September 2016, a freight train derailed in the Faujdarhat area. The loco driver and the assistant driver were injured.
Passenger services
Railway is a principal mode of transport in Bangladesh. In the 2005 financial year, 42 million passengers travelled on the Bangladesh Railway. Inter-city services, contribute to over seventy percent of Bangladesh Railway's revenue. In 2014, the railway owned 312 broad gauge coaches and 1,164 metre gauge coaches.
In 2017, Bangladesh Railway operated 90 inter-city trains (up and down), 52 mail or express trains, 64 commuter trains (DEMU), 135 shuttle or local trains and 2 international services.
Two times per week, a passenger train operates a service to India. In April 2008, the Maitri Express between Dhaka and Kolkata came into operation on the Gede Darsana route . On 9 November 2017, a new weekly train, the Bandhan Express, came into operation between Khulna and Kolkata via Petrapole and Benapole . Recently in 2021, another new weekly train, the Mitali Express, came into operation between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka via Parbatipur and Iswardi .