Repair work underway on 105 coaches in Pahartali

The Eastern Railway is preparing to manage the rush of passengers travelling home for Eid by repairing old coaches, adding extra carriages and planning special trains.

At the Pahartali Railway Factory in Chittagong, repair work is ongoing on 105 coaches. Of them, 59 have already been repaired and handed over to the Transport Department. The remaining coaches are expected to be delivered by March 16.

To ease passenger pressure, 4 to 5 additional coaches will be added to regular trains. Special “Eid Special” trains are also planned on key routes, including Chattogram–Chandpur.

A visit to the factory found workers operating day and night in different sections. Teams are repairing mechanical faults, repainting coaches and checking electrical systems. The repair programme began on February 1 to ensure trains can operate at full capacity during Eid.

Alongside coach repairs, locomotive availability remains a major challenge.

Officials say at least 90 locomotives are needed to maintain regular train services in the eastern region during Eid.

Chief Power Controller (Eastern Region) Engineer Md. Mizanur Rahman said demand for engines is similar to last year. Although the number of operational engines is slightly below demand, the shortfall may be managed by reallocating engines, as freight train services are usually suspended during Eid.

According to Pahartali Divisional Chief Power Controller Engineer Rajendra Prasad Bhowmik, 154 of the railway’s 297 locomotives—about 51 percent—have exceeded their economic lifespan of 20 years. Many are between 20 and 40 years old, which affects reliability.

Currently, 7 to 8 old engines are repaired daily at the Pahartali Diesel Shop. However, officials say a shortage of skilled manpower and quality spare parts often limits long-term effectiveness.

Despite these constraints, railway authorities say they are working to keep the required number of engines operational so that passengers can travel home without major disruption during Eid.