A total of 10 meter gauge (MG) diesel electric locomotives imported from Korea are being added to the Eastern Railway fleet in the midst of engine crisis.
Chief Mechanical Engineer (East) FM Mohiuddin said the locomotives would be added to the Eastern Railway fleet within the next one month after completion of all types of trials. Meanwhile, Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan visited the newly imported locomotive (engine) at Pahartali workshop on Wednesday afternoon. Trials of all types of engines will begin. These will run in the eastern part of the railway in phases.
Chief Mechanical Engineer of Eastern Railway, FM Mohiuddin said that the new 10 meter gauge (MG) diesel electric locomotives purchased from Hyundai Roten Company are now in trial. There are many types of trials in an engine, including light trials and load trials. All types of trials will take more than a month to complete.
According to the mechanical department, engine commissioning will start as soon as the engineering team from Korea reaches Chittagong. Commissioning each engine can take at least 7 days. The engines will then go on a light trial of about 70 km from Pahartali Diesel Shop to Chinki Astana Station. The engines will be attached to the passenger intercity train if the load trial under the supervision of the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) proves to be fully effective after the light trial. The load trial will be carried out with sandbags carrying capacity of 18 coach passengers.
The locomotive was purchased at a cost of Tk 400 crore to run trains on meter gauge (MG) lines with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The cost for each engine from Chittagong port till unloading is around Tk 40 crore.
These locomotives have a range of one hundred kilometers However; the Korean company has instructions to operate the Eastern Meter Gauge Railway at a maximum speed of 75 to 80 kmph.
