Bijoy Express is one of the trains that carries the least number of passengers. When it was launched on 19 December 2014, it used to run from Mymensingh to Chattogram. On 1 December 2023, its departure point was changed to Jamalpur, which increased the travel time and led to a decline in the number of passengers. Now, the revenue generated from operating the train does not even cover costs.
Railway officials say no feasibility study was conducted before changing the departure point of the Bijoy Express and profitability was not even considered. The change was mainly made in response to requests from leaders of the Awami League government which was ousted during the July mass uprising.
According to railway sources, even with full passenger capacity, intercity trains operate at a loss due to fuel expenses, staffing, and other costs. On top of that, there is a shortage of engines and coaches. Under such circumstances, the authorities are unwilling to launch new trains unless there is significant passenger demand.
However, during the rule of the Awami League government, new trains were launched, destinations were extended and new stoppages were made at various train stations, all at the behest of ministers, members of parliament and politicians.
For example, during Nurul Islam Sujan’s tenure as railways minister, the destinations of almost all intercity trains operating in Dinajpur and surrounding districts were extended to his home district, Panchagarh. A station was renamed after the minister’s brother, and a pair of new intercity trains was also launched.
According to railway sources, at least five intercity trains currently do not have enough passengers. These trains were introduced under political pressure. However, local residents do not want the trains to be discontinued. In fact, any attempt to shut them down is met with resistance. As a result, the burden of losses is increasing by the day. Bangladesh Railway is now incurring an average annual loss of around Tk 2,500 crore (Tk 25 billion). In the 2009-10 fiscal, the loss was Tk 690 crore (Tk 6.9 billion).
From 2009 until it fell from power, the Awami League government launched 66 new intercity trains. During the same period, it introduced 92 mail, express, commuter, and local trains. However, nearly 98 popular mail, local, and commuter trains were discontinued. In other words, while some routes were closed, new ones were opened elsewhere.
After the interim government took over, it initiated a railway route rationalisation process. The main goal is to shut down low-revenue routes and increase trains on routes with higher passenger demand. Trains that incur more expenses than income are also to be discontinued. To this end, a committee has been formed under the leadership of the additional secretary of the railways ministry, Rupom Anwar. The committee includes ministry and railway officials as well as experts and student representatives. Several meetings have been held over the past six months, but the committee has yet to finalise its recommendations.
Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, advisor to the railways ministry, told Prothom Alo that work is underway to increase train services on profitable routes and close down loss-making ones. A review is being conducted of trains introduced to fulfill political leaders’ wishes in the past. Gradually, unprofitable and unnecessary trains will be phased out. He added that there is currently a shortage of coaches, which is slowing down the route rationalisation process. Moreover, once a train service is launched in an area, any attempt to shut it down meets with resistance from locals. These factors are also being taken into account.
Hard to cover costs
The distance from Sirajganj town to Shaheed Mansur Ali station is only six kilometers. Many northbound trains stop at Mansur Ali station. It was at the insistence of the late health minister Mohammad Nasim that a train was routed through Sirajganj town. In response, a train service was introduced in 2013. However, it never attracted the expected number of passengers.
Previously, there was an intercity train from Ishwardi to Dhaka, which was discontinued to introduce a new train called the Sirajganj Express. But there is no space in Sirajganj to keep the train overnight, so after dropping passengers, it has to return to Ishwardi. It then travels back to Sirajganj to pick up passengers. This commute between Jamtoil, Sirajganj and Ishwardi wastes time and fuel.
According to the railway, the Sirajganj Express runs at an average occupancy rate of 88 per cent. It earns about Tk 30 lakh (Tk 3 million).
A new rail line from Ishwardi to Dhalarchar in Pabna was laid in 2018, costing Tk 1,715 crore (Tk 17.15 billion). No feasibility study was conducted for this route. After the inauguration, no trains operated on the line for two years.
In 2020, a pair of trains named the Dhalarchar Express was introduced. Although the original project proposal claimed that 10 trains would run on this route, only one pair was introduced. This rail line is one of the prominent examples of how the previous Awami League government squandered funds.
According to railway sources, the Dhalarchar Express operates with 11 coaches and runs twice a day (counted as two trains). Combined, they earn about Tk 3.6 million per month. Although this train often carries more passengers than its seating capacity, most travel only short distances, which results in lower revenue.
Upakul Express and a new train
For a long time, only one intercity train operates on the Dhaka-Noakhali route, the Upakul Express. Despite being the sole intercity train on this route, it now carries fewer passengers than before. According to data from the railway, in January 2012, the Upakul Express had an average occupancy of 190 per cent, nearly double its seating capacity. On the Noakhali-to-Dhaka route, occupancy was as high as 269 per cent, and on the return leg from Dhaka, it was 111 per cent. But now, the train often fails to fill even its available seats.
Railway sources say passenger numbers have been declining on the Upakul Express for the past five years. The main reason is the upgrade of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway to four lanes, which allows for faster road travel to Noakhali than by train. High-quality buses have also started operating on this route. Additionally, irregular train schedules have contributed to the decline in demand.
Despite this, on 15 November 2023, a decision was made to introduce a new pair of intercity trains from Dhaka to Noakhali. The former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has fled to India, named the train Subarnachar Express. However, due to a shortage of coaches, it could not be launched immediately. Preparations to launch the train began just before the fall of the Awami League government in the July mass uprising. Earlier, on 7 June 2023, the parliamentary standing committee on the railways ministry decided to introduce a new train on the Noakhali route. But after the interim government took charge, it launched a new train on the Cox’s Bazar route instead of Noakhali.
When Bangladesh Railway undertakes development projects, they project massive profits. But once in office, political leaders openly declare that the railway isn’t meant to make a profit. Such statements are unprofessional.Professor Shamsul Hoque, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET
More passengers, less attention up North
The railway’s northern zone constitutes Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions. A total of 32 intercity trains operate on this route. According to the railway, all trains in the western zone run at an average occupancy of 114 per cent. In contrast, the eastern zone sees an average occupancy of 94 per cent.
Railway officials explain that all routes in the western region are long and involve stops at many stations. As a result, most trains struggle to maintain their schedules. Yet, if an alternative rake (a train formation with designated coaches) were available, it would be possible to run trains on time even if one was delayed. But no such backup system exists.
For instance, six intercity trains operate from Panchagarh, but only four rakes are available for them. The remaining 26 trains in the western zone have no backup rakes. This means the same train must return for its next journey, causing delays if there’s an accident or disruption along the way, forcing passengers to wait.
The Kurigram Express, which runs from Dhaka to northern Bangladesh, operates at an average occupancy of 111 per cent and earns roughly Tk 2 crore (Tk 20 million) per month. Similarly, the Lalmonirhat Express averages 115 per cent occupancy and earns around Tk 2 crore 12 lakh 50 thousand (Tk 21.25 million) per month. Yet, due to the absence of spare rakes, both trains run late on most days of the week.
Professor Shamsul Hoque of the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and a transport expert, told Prothom Alo that when Bangladesh Railway undertakes development projects, they project massive profits. But once in office, political leaders openly declare that the railway isn’t meant to make a profit. Such statements are unprofessional. That’s why the railway spends two and a half taka to earn just one taka, which is completely unacceptable.
He added that determining passenger demand as well as profit and loss on any given route is not a difficult task. No new train should be launched or made to stop at a new station without conducting a proper feasibility study.