Six years have elapsed but the feasibility study of electric train has not yet been completed. The feasibility study project for launching the first electric train in the country was supposed to start in January, 2016.
Electric train is gaining popularity worldwide as its operation is fast, affordable, low- noise and environment friendly. Although an initiative has been taken to launch electric train in Bangladesh, it takes a long time to introduce it.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the introduction of railway electric traction will be a milestone for Bangladesh Railways. It will reduce travel time and operational costs and increase passenger facilities as well. The government also does not have to count the extra amount of subsidy.
Experts say an electric train can run one kilometer with four units of electricity. Considering per unit tariff taka 10, the fuel cost per kilometer is around Taka 40. But the diesel run train cost is more than taka one thousand per kilometer.
They also said, railways run on diesel engines in the country and the diesel is often stolen. If electric train is introduced in Bangladesh, the theft will stop.
However, on May 11, Bangladesh entered the era of electric trains. On the day, the first operation of electricity- run Metrorail in the history of the country was shown at Metrorail depot of Uttara in the capital.
Transport expert Professor M Shamsul Haque told Bangladesh Post, ‘Today or tomorrow we have to go for electric train. On the one hand, it is environment- friendly, and it runs on high speed on the other. The cost is also relatively low. That is why, we need to make long-term accurate practical plans. There is no benefit in implementing the project for business purposes only.’
‘Currently there is no ownership of the railway corridor. It is very important to control it. If this can be done, it is possible to run the train at a speed of 100 kilometers on the existing line. Then gradually locomotives, engine changes and other infrastructure have to be built. It requires a lot of investment. Even if the investment is high, Bangladesh will be a lot of beneficiary in future. Although capital investment is much higher here, operating cost is very cheaper,’ he added.
Electricity cost Tk 40 per km
Fuel cost Tk 1,000 per km
According to Planning Commission sources, the feasibility study project train in the country was to start in January 2016. Ministry of Railways sent a proposal to the Planning Commission. The planning minister also wrote 'discuss' for it in view of its importance. After that, in the last five and a half years, the Ministry of Railways has not any fruitful discussion about the feasibility. Now the Ministry of Railways has again sent the proposal to the Ministry of Planning.
The commission said that according to the first proposal of the Ministry of Railways, the first route of electric train has been considered from the port district Narayanganj to the port city Chattagram via the capital Dhaka considering the trade and commerce of the country. The feasibility study with a cost of 9.57 crore was to be completed by December 2016.
Work on the main project was expected to begin next year after receiving the feasibility report. But now a new proposal has been sent to the planning ministry increasing the cost of the survey project by Tk 5 crore to Tk 15.55 crore. And the time has extended to August 2022.
According to Planning Commission sources, the Ministry of Railways sent the feasibility study project in early 2016. The Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting was held in January of that year.
A summary of the survey project worth Tk 8.12 crore was presented to the planning minister six months later. In this context, a review meeting was held in July.
After that the progress of the project stopped for about three years. The second PEC meeting was held in July 2019. After a gap of one year, the proposal of the project was submitted to the commission in the middle of 2020.
Although several attempts were made to contact the Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, Secretary Md. Humayun Kabir and Additional Secretary (Development & Planning) Md. Habibur Rahman in this connection , it was not possible, to contact them.
