Railways minister: Have plans to modernize railway system like China

[Black_cats]

Railways minister: Have plans to modernize railway system like China
UNB

• Published at 06:41 pm September 6th, 2019

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/09/06/railways-minister-have-plans-to-modernize-railway-system-like-china

File photo of Railways Minister Advocate Nurul Islam Sujan Collected

'Government plans to introduce high-speed and ultra-modern trains using China's example', he said

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan has said the government plans to modernize the railway system using the example of China for the socio-economic development of the country.

He made the comment while distributing cheques among the distressed people at his village home in Boda upazila in Panchagarh, on Friday.

He elaborated by saying: "We plan to introduce high-speed and ultra-modern trains using China's example."

He said China's modern railway system has helped to ensure services to the people and saved a lot of time.

Sujan distributed Tk9.8 lakh among 26 people in the area from the Prime Minister's Welfare Fund.

The upazila's chairman, nirbahi officer, the municipality mayor, the additional superintendent police, among others, were present.

 

[Arthur]

Does he plan to stop " মারিং কাটিং" by his nincompoop emplyess?

 

[Abu Shaleh Rumi]

LOL mr minister, when you want to lie try to make it believable...

 

[nahtanbob]

Railways minister: Have plans to modernize railway system like China
UNB

• Published at 06:41 pm September 6th, 2019

https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2019/09/06/railways-minister-have-plans-to-modernize-railway-system-like-china

File photo of Railways Minister Advocate Nurul Islam Sujan Collected

'Government plans to introduce high-speed and ultra-modern trains using China's example', he said

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan has said the government plans to modernize the railway system using the example of China for the socio-economic development of the country.

He made the comment while distributing cheques among the distressed people at his village home in Boda upazila in Panchagarh, on Friday.

He elaborated by saying: "We plan to introduce high-speed and ultra-modern trains using China's example."

He said China's modern railway system has helped to ensure services to the people and saved a lot of time.

Sujan distributed Tk9.8 lakh among 26 people in the area from the Prime Minister's Welfare Fund.

The upazila's chairman, nirbahi officer, the municipality mayor, the additional superintendent police, among others, were present.

you are too small to have an extensive railroad system

 

[Bilal9]

you are too small to have an extensive railroad system

Bob - we are an independent country, not a backward remote state in the US or Europe. Effed up our railways may be, but we still have to carry our people (170 Million, about one half of the population of the US) and cargo (mostly exports but also imported inputs for value addition these days). Slowly but surely, things do get done.

The Railway system has a total length of 2,855 route km. In 2009, Bangladesh Railway had 34,168 employees. In 2014 , Bangladesh Railway carried 65 million passengers and 2.52 million tonnes of freight (or 8,135 million passenger-kilometres of people and 677 million tonne-kilometres of cargo).

I wouldn't call the scale of things here 'small' for the size of our country.

By the way, here is the route map and I'd argue it is pretty extensive as an adjunct to the road network. Railways hasn't covered more area simply because we have three large Mississippi delta sized rivers criss-crossing our terrain and they were expensive to bridge over. Two very large bridges aren't shown in this map (Jamuna Bridge in operation and Padma Bridge being built). Compared to our terrain, building Railways in India or Pakistan are a cake-walk.

 

[nahtanbob]

Bob - we are an independent country, not a backward remote state in the US or Europe. Effed up our railways may be, but we still have to carry our people (170 Million, about one half of the population of the US) and cargo (mostly exports but also imported inputs for value addition these days). Slowly but surely, things do get done.

The Railway system has a total length of 2,855 route km. In 2009, Bangladesh Railway had 34,168 employees. In 2014 , Bangladesh Railway carried 65 million passengers and 2.52 million tonnes of freight (or 8,135 million passenger-kilometres of people and 677 million tonne-kilometres of cargo).

I wouldn't call the scale of things here 'small' for the size of our country.

By the way, here is the route map and I'd argue it is pretty extensive as an adjunct to the road network. Railways hasn't covered more area simply because we have three large Mississippi delta sized rivers criss-crossing our terrain and they were expensive to bridge over. Two very large bridges aren't shown in this map (Jamuna Bridge in operation and Padma Bridge being built). Compared to our terrain, building Railways in India or Pakistan are a cake-walk.

I see the challanges of the rivers. there is enough scale to be achieved with large populations. the length of the railway network is not going to be large. There is little to be achieved with expensive high speed railway technology.
I see China dumping expensive technology you do not need.

 

[Nike]

High speed railway? Should electrified and made double double track routes for area around Dhaka and Chittagong as first priority to support your MRT network in near future. To build commuter lines, and integrated them with MRT system can bring more benefit to Bangladesh as it will cover daily rides passanger for community in Dhaka greater area. Double double track will give the service line more leeway to support cargo trains operational and regional lines operational without disturbing operational of commuter line and MRT network.

 

[bluesky]

The GoB wants Chinese loans to do something that is not required in our country. It should better try to make the Dhaka-Chittagong route double-tracked which is of utmost necessity. How about improving the stations and platforms?

For an assumed investment of $3,000 million in new railway lines, the gross earning must be at least $800 million, and the net earning $300 million per year. So, can it be achieved when only two to five trains run in a day on a particular route? If not, how the country will pay back the money when the gross earning is short?

As usual, the BAL govt is making fun of the people's expectations. It should double-track and electrify all the routes before indulging in big talking of bullet trains. The investment will not be returned to the govt coffer and the tax money will always be used to make up the shortfall. This has already been happening since 1947.

 

[nahtanbob]

The GoB wants Chinese loans to do something that is not required in our country. It should better try to make the Dhaka-Chittagong route double-tracked which is of utmost necessity. How about improving the stations and platforms?

For an assumed investment of $3,000 million in the railway, the return/output must be at least $300 million. So, can it be achieved when only two to five trains run in a day on a particular route? If not, how the country will pay back the money?

As usual, the BAL govt is making fun of the people's expectations. It should double-track and electrify all the routes before indulging in big talking of bullet trains. The investment will not be returned to the govt coffer.

I do not see the fetish for high speed railway when the whole length/breadth of the country is 400 km. Not with the price tags being thrown around.

The emphasis has to be on multiple lines, mass transit, electrification and few robust river crossings

 

[Bilal9]

I see the challanges of the rivers. there is enough scale to be achieved with large populations. the length of the railway network is not going to be large. There is little to be achieved with expensive high speed railway technology.
I see China dumping expensive technology you do not need.

Yes True High-speed (over 150 MPH) maybe over the top for our usage. But the UK is also a high speed rail user being how small physically they are and their main railway corridors. So there may be some usage later at some point when our GDP per capita reaches close to their level. That may be a long way in the future. For now Bangladesh Railway is slowly trying to gain expertise about High Speed Rail (HSR) from the college established for this purpose in the UK and trying to benchmark their practices regarding HSR.

https://www.facebook.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NCollegeHSR/

Medium high speed around 100 MPH can be achievable at this point using existing trackage in Bangladesh and is needed as an alternative to air transport between major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet (all 200+ mile legs) where timely passenger demand for that high speed service exists. It has been a long time popular demand and the govt. sees this as a highly visible achievement to accomplish. So it is getting higher priority in the Rail Improvement Plan. There is already more than one daily medium rapid non-stop train from Dhaka to Chittagong (around 80 mph I believe which is a significant improvement from even limited-stop trains existing at this time).

Track quality needs to be upgraded to support this speed and 100 lb rail needs to be installed on concrete ties or eventually, modern ballastless track or slab track and maintained at least daily. For now, concrete ties on hard aggregate ballast are fine.

Right now economical, punctual, reliable, and efficient passenger transport available to a wide swath of the public may be the need of the day, more than high speed transport. We definitely need to convert to broad gauge nationwide and of course use double-decker train carriages to maximize the number of people carried. Double-decker trains are being used in neighboring India already with some success.

 

[nahtanbob]

Yes True High-speed (over 150 MPH) maybe over the top for our usage. But the UK is also a high speed rail user being how small physically they are and their main railway corridors. So there may be some usage later at some point when our GDP per capita reaches close to their level. That may be a long way in the future. For now Bangladesh Railway is slowly trying to gain expertise about High Speed Rail (HSR) from the college established for this purpose in the UK and trying to benchmark their practices regarding HSR.

https://www.facebook.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NCollegeHSR/

Medium high speed around 100 MPH can be achievable at this point using existing trackage in Bangladesh and is needed as an alternative to air transport between major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet (all 200+ mile legs) where timely passenger demand for that high speed service exists. It has been a long time popular demand and the govt. sees this as a highly visible achievement to accomplish. So it is getting higher priority in the Rail Improvement Plan. There is already more than one daily medium rapid non-stop train from Dhaka to Chittagong (around 80 mph I believe which is a significant improvement from even limited-stop trains existing at this time).

Track quality needs to be upgraded to support this speed and 100 lb rail needs to be installed on concrete ties or eventually, modern ballastless track or slab track and maintained at least daily. For now, concrete ties on hard aggregate ballast are fine.

Right now economical, punctual, reliable, and efficient passenger transport available to a wide swath of the public may be the need of the day, more than high speed transport. We definitely need to convert to broad gauge nationwide and of course use double-decker train carriages to maximize the number of people carried. Double-decker trains are being used in neighboring India already with some success.

fyi I am opposed to HSR given the price tag. hey if the chinese offer to build HSR at the price of medium speed rail I would take it

 

[fallstuff]

Yes True High-speed (over 150 MPH) maybe over the top for our usage. But the UK is also a high speed rail user being how small physically they are and their main railway corridors. So there may be some usage later at some point when our GDP per capita reaches close to their level. That may be a long way in the future. For now Bangladesh Railway is slowly trying to gain expertise about High Speed Rail (HSR) from the college established for this purpose in the UK and trying to benchmark their practices regarding HSR.

https://www.facebook.com/

https://www.facebook.com/NCollegeHSR/

Medium high speed around 100 MPH can be achievable at this point using existing trackage in Bangladesh and is needed as an alternative to air transport between major cities like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet (all 200+ mile legs) where timely passenger demand for that high speed service exists. It has been a long time popular demand and the govt. sees this as a highly visible achievement to accomplish. So it is getting higher priority in the Rail Improvement Plan. There is already more than one daily medium rapid non-stop train from Dhaka to Chittagong (around 80 mph I believe which is a significant improvement from even limited-stop trains existing at this time).

Track quality needs to be upgraded to support this speed and 100 lb rail needs to be installed on concrete ties or eventually, modern ballastless track or slab track and maintained at least daily. For now, concrete ties on hard aggregate ballast are fine.

Right now economical, punctual, reliable, and efficient passenger transport available to a wide swath of the public may be the need of the day, more than high speed transport. We definitely need to convert to broad gauge nationwide and of course use double-decker train carriages to maximize the number of people carried. Double-decker trains are being used in neighboring India already with some success.

Bangladesh in my opinion is an ideal candidate for high speed rail. 170 million people living in 55,000 sq miles or so means you can a move a thousand people over a short distance in a much safer way relatively quick. It will cost more time, fuel, and lives ( accidents) to move the same number of people on road using around 20 buses. This will also take stress off Dhaka as everyone wants to live in or near Dhaka for economical reasons.

 

[UKBengali]

Bangladesh in my opinion is an ideal candidate for high speed rail. 170 million people living in 55,000 sq miles or so means you can a move a thousand of people over a short distance in a much safer way relatively quick. It will cost more time, fuel, and lives ( accidents) to move the same number of people on road using around 20 buses. This will also take stress off Dhaka as everyone wants to live in or near Dhaka for economical reasons.

There is no need for any faster speeds than 200km/h as BD is relatively small.

This speed with allow all major cities in BD to reach Dhaka within 2 hours.

 

[Bilal9]

There is no need for any faster speeds than 200km/h as BD is relatively small.

This speed with allow all major cities in BD to reach Dhaka within 2 hours.

Exactly. Even maintaining track for safe 150 KMPH rail speeds will require huge investments in track and substrate stabilization in the form of ballast-less trackage, fencing off track, not to say daily maintenance in heavily traveled junctions.

But first things first. We need to convert all meter gauge track to broad gauge and retire meter gauge engines and coaches (almost all meter gauge track in Bangladesh is already dual gauge - next is stopping ordering of meter gauge equipment).

Ideally - all motive power in Bangladesh should be from reliable sources like the US or worst case, Korea (process is already in motion as we can afford US engines now) and coaches/carriages from reliable economical sources like Indonesia. Govt. to govt. sales will minimize corruption.

 

[Bilal9]

In regard to HSR, it may be pertinent here to point out that South Korea is an ideal example for the bench-marking theoretical process of HSR implementation (and line electrification, which also needs to happen prior to HSR implementation in Bangladesh), whichever equipment we decide to buy at some point. We are already a huge (and satisfied) consumer of Korean locomotives (Meter gauge).

More here (S. Korea decided to import French TGV equipment initially and dubbed it 'KTX').

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KTX-I

Latest is KTX-Sancheon,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KTX-Sancheon

Speed for KTX trains is around 300 KMPH. This may be a bit high for Bangladesh trackage situation, just being practical here.

Much more practical would be the ITX-SaeMaul trains which run a bit slower but still fast enough for Bangladesh' needs (165 kmph or 103 mph). ITX trains are also more economical than KTX trains and are made by our familiar supplier in Bangladesh (Hyundai ROTEM).