Bangladesh Railway has taken the initiative to launch two new intercity trains on the Dhaka-Pabna and Dhaka-Khulna routes on a priority basis as around 200 new passenger coaches are set to be added to its fleet this month.
Railway officials said the new trains are expected to improve connectivity and ease travel for passengers in the western region.
According to railway sources, several new railway routes have been opened in recent years, including the Jamuna Bridge-Pabna line in 2018, the Dhaka-Padma Bridge route in 2022, and the Khulna-Mongla route in 2024.
However, adequate train services could not be introduced on these routes due to a shortage of coaches.
Once the new coaches are added to the fleet, the Ministry of Railways plans to launch intercity trains on the Dhaka-Pabna and Dhaka-Khulna routes. It is also considering introducing a commuter train on the Dhaka-Gopalganj route and extending the Dhaka-Khulna service to Mongla.
General Manager of Western Railway Farid Ahmed said a proposal is being prepared to initially launch the two new intercity trains on the Dhaka-Pabna and Dhaka-Khulna routes.
Meanwhile, passengers in the Rajshahi and Jashore regions have demanded the immediate resumption of suspended local train services and replacement of old coaches on five existing trains.
Member Secretary of the Greater Jashore Rail Communication Development Struggle Committee Zillur Rahman Vitu and General Secretary of the Rajshahi Raksha Sangram Parishad Zamat Khan urged the authorities to resume the suspended train services and reopen closed railway stations at the earliest.
Acknowledging the shortage of manpower, Farid Ahmed said initiatives have been taken to gradually reopen closed stations and resume suspended train services through fresh recruitment and the appointment of station masters on a contractual basis.
