The country’s first commuter train hit tracks
on a trial run between Chittagong and Comilla
Saturday. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

Test run for 1st commuter train in Bangladesh

The country’s first commuter train hit tracks on a trial run between Chittagong and Comilla Saturday.

The train left Pahartali railway station in the port city around 9:30am, reports our Chittagong correspondent quoting Md Zakir Hossain, divisional transportation officer of

Aimed at transporting people quickly over short distances, the train was imported from China.

It is now being tested at Bangladesh Railway’s Pahartoli workshop in the city.

In first phase, two commuter trains, known as diesel electric multiple units (DEMUs), will ply between Dhaka and Narayanganj.

Each DEMU, consisting of three coaches, can make six trips a day on the 20-kilometre Kamalapur-Narayanganj route.

From Dhaka to Narayanganj, it takes nearly two hours by bus, whereas a trip on a DEMU train will take only 20-25 minutes.

One such train can carry 300 passengers at a time, railway sources said.

The two DEMU sets are the first of 20 that are being imported. A Chinese private firm is supplying them under a $58.31 million deal.

DEMUs are modern and can run at a speed of 60 kilometres an hour. Commuter train services will gradually be introduced on Chittagong-Feni, Chittagong-Nazirhat and Chittagong-Dohazari routes.

DEMU trains will also be introduced on two northern routes — Dinajpur-Parbatipur-Rangpur and Lalmonirhat-Parbatipur-Saidpur.

Bangladesh Railway is also importing five DEMU sets from India. Each of them will consist of six coaches. India will start supplying them towards the end of this year, said railway officials.

The railway boss said the 25 trains will be available for use by the middle of the next year.

Courtesy: The Daily Star