Relations between Bangladesh and India are set to strengthen as the Bangladesh Railway plans to import 200 broad-gauge (BG) coaches from India. This announcement was made by Railway Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam during a parliamentary session in Bangladesh, as reported by The Daily Star. The acquisition of these coaches will be financed by the European Investment Bank and is expected to take place starting this year.

The minister indicated that the delivery of the 200 BG coaches will occur between June 2026 and December 2027, and new train routes will be established following their arrival. His remarks came in response to inquiries from Jamaat MPs Ilyas Molla and Ruhul Amin during a question-and-answer segment.

Furthermore, the minister revealed that there are plans in motion to acquire an additional 260 broad-gauge passenger coaches, along with 46 broad-gauge locomotives and 50 metre-gauge locomotives in the near future. He emphasized that these developments aim to enhance passenger comfort and boost railway revenue through freight operations.

Once the new coaches from India are integrated into the fleet, there will be an increase in the number of intercity trains operating between Dhaka and the northern districts, which currently has 15 trains on this route.

Additionally, Bangladesh Railway is actively pursuing expansion initiatives to create new broad-gauge and dual-gauge lines. The nation’s railway network currently spans a total of 3,428.09 kilometers, which includes 1,591.43 kilometers of metre-gauge, 1,066.60 kilometers of broad-gauge, and 770.06 kilometers of dual-gauge tracks.