Bangladesh Advances $310 Million Railway Electrification and Procurement of 16 EMU Trainsets

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 16, the Bangladeshi government plans to submit the Narayanganj–Dhaka–Joydebpur railway electrification project to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for review. The total project investment is approximately 38.2251 billion taka, equivalent to about $310 million. The project will be implemented by Bangladesh Railway and is intended to introduce electric traction systems and electric multiple units (EMUs) to the country's main railway network for the first time.

The project covers approximately 52.32 km of existing railway corridor and plans to build about 186 track-km of overhead catenary system, along with supporting traction power supply, central control, and EMU maintenance facilities. Under the current plan, the project will also procure 16 five-car EMU trainsets to enhance commuter transport capacity between the Dhaka metropolitan area and Narayanganj and Joydebpur. A feasibility study previously completed by Bangladesh Railway has identified electric traction as an important technical pathway for reducing railway operating costs, increasing average operating speed, and lowering locomotive maintenance costs.

Of the total project investment, the Bangladeshi government plans to bear approximately 9.4209 billion taka, with the remaining approximately 28.8042 billion taka planned to be financed through loans from the Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank. The latest submission plan shows that the project is scheduled to commence in July 2026 and be completed by June 2031. Compared with previous versions, the project investment scale and implementation period have undergone multiple rounds of adjustment, and the plan currently submitted to ECNEC is based on 38.2251 billion taka.

The corridor connects Narayanganj, Dhaka, and Joydebpur and is an important railway commuter route in the Greater Dhaka area. After project implementation, existing diesel traction will be gradually replaced by EMUs. Related planning estimates that the corridor's daily passenger capacity can increase from approximately 232,000 passenger trips to more than 845,000 passenger trips, the number of daily train services can increase from approximately 65 to 235, and a headway of approximately 15 minutes is planned during peak hours.

The project will also build EMU maintenance workshops and supporting facilities to provide support for subsequent rolling stock inspection and maintenance and electrified railway operations. Bangladesh Railway has made this project its first mainline project for transforming railway traction nationwide. If the operating and financing models mature subsequently, the electrification approach is expected to continue extending to other major railway corridors.