Forty-seven long years into the independence of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Railway is still stuck in the doldrums. It had its heyday in the pre- and post-partition era, mainly up to the 1960s. Much to the disappointment of the optimists, the railway fell on bad times in the 1970s and after. The bad days continued year in and year out. The railway had yet to see a wholesale resurgence in infrastructure and operational vibrancy. A great segment of the country's regular travellers uses train as mode of transport. Spurred by repeated government pledges to bring about radical changes in the railway service, they keep looking to future wonders. But nothing spectacularly noticeable comes by. True, in the last few decades a number of high-speed intercity trains were launched on the country's major rail routes, the Dhaka-Chattogram route being the most prominent. At the same time, railway tracks in different rail zones continued to rot way, with stations shutting down.
Of all the impediments to the growth of a buoyantly operative railway operation network, a few pose grave threats. They include inadequate manpower, sloppy procurement and maintenance of locomotives and carriages, and the nearly primitive condition of the railway tracks. Experts from countries with railway being a vital mode of transport might feel appalled at the fact that the Dhaka-Chattogram rail connection runs on a single track, that too in the 21st century.
To digress a little, China has recently unveiled its plan to introduce 1000km/h super-maglev (vacuum tube) trains. It comes on the operational success of its bullet trains. No matter how implausible it may sound, Bangladesh is also dreaming of launching a 'new generation' train by 2022. The latest intercity 'Sonar Bangla' is said to take 5 (five) hours to cover the distance between Dhaka and the port city. The super-speed 'new generation' train will travel between Dhaka and Chattogram in one and a half hours.
But operational drawbacks plague the railway in the country. In order to offset them to a great extent, the government announced last year its plan to introduce a double-track line on the Dhaka-Chattogram route. Moreover, like in the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway, dual-gauge rail tracks are also being seriously mulled for the route, considered the busiest in the country.
The pressing into service the non-stop 8-hour Dhaka-Chattogram Ulka express came up as a virtual revolution in the country's railway communication in the 1960s. It broke the monopoly of many mail trains including Green Arrow. The intercity nonstop and deluxe express trains emerged as part of a dominant scenario much later. At present it is these trains which mostly comprise long-haul railway travels all over the country. At least four nonstop intercity trains now travel between Dhaka and Chattogram. Several others run on the Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Panchagarh routes. The concept of local or mixed trains appears to be over. Due to their being less prone to major accidents and facilities for leg stretch, long-haul trains are fast replacing buses and coaches. The same applies to the slow decline in the preference for water transports.
Compared to the behemoth size and strength of the Indian Railway, of which Bangladesh was once a major segment, the country's railway could still be termed a fledgling one. The Indian Railway has long pressed into service its electricity-run trains. Given the ever-shifting policy directions and infrastructural weaknesses, electric trains had better be pushed into the backburner -- at least for now. The authorities nowadays are found engrossed in presenting dazzling and tolerably speedier trains. Instead of cutting down on travel-time, they seem to be more interested in strictly following time schedules of the trains' arrival and departure. Introducing facilities for a comfortable journey appears also to be on their list of imperatives. How far these superficial features will add to the railway's basic popular appeal is anybody's guess.
Compared to many developing countries, the railway sector of Bangladesh is not too insignificant. Beginning in 1862 with a short-length broad-gauge line in the British period, railway now covers the entire length and breadth of Bangladesh. The meter-gauge line constitutes a major segment of the rail network. Formed as the Bengal Assam Railway under the British Government, it was later turned into an entity called Bengal Assam Railway Company. In the then Pakistan, it came to be known as Pakistan Eastern Railway to turn into today's Bangladesh Railway (BR) after independence. BR network has a total length of 2,855 kms in route length. The passenger kms now stand on average at 8,135 million, with the tonne kilometres coming to 677 million.
Despite the fast growth of road and waterway transport sectors, the railway still enjoys an exclusive and special place among the travellers in Bangladesh. Apart from its relative safety, the railway travels are cheaper. Although in the recent times its fare is undergoing periodic rises, the hike is still affordable by the poorer and middle-income groups. The popularity of railway has been a major feature in the transport sector since long. Not long ago, a few districts and regions remained outside the railway network. On implementation of a master plan, the whole country is expected to enjoy the fruits of railway.
When it comes to the future of railway in this country, both pessimists and optimists cite their own logics. The former presents a picture filled with anomalous policies and utopian dreams coupled with mismanagement and various types of irregularities. The latter, in spite of its myriad limitations, place great hope in this traditional communication sector. Thanks to a strong set-up being in place already, Bangladesh Railway should not falter in its journey. In attaining the desired goal, pragmatic policy formulation, strong management and a modern railway infrastructure emerge as imperatives. Foremost of them all is a vibrant network. Railway should be made free of the maladies of misuse of funds, unwise policies -- and the rampant financial and other irregularities. Thanks to its increasing popularity, it can in no way be turned into a losing sector in Bangladesh.