Eastern Railway to Deploy 90 Locomotives for Eid-ul-Azha Rush

Eastern Railway is preparing around 90 locomotives to ensure smooth passenger transport during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.

The engines are being repaired and readied at locomotive workshops in the Pahartoli and Dhaka divisions.

Eastern Railway Chief Power Controller Engineer Md. Mizanur Rahman said 90 to 95 locomotives will be needed to maintain normal train operations during Eid.

“Last Eid-ul-Fitr, we had 88 engines in operation. This time, we are targeting 90 to 95 engines depending on availability,” he said.

According to railway officials, the two divisions submit their engine requirements ahead of Eid, after which the number of trains is finalized. Repair and maintenance work is being carried out at the Pahartoli diesel workshop and Dhaka workshop.

Engineer Rajendra Prasad Bhowmik, Chief Power Controller of Pahartoli Division, said 55 engines are being repaired at the Pahartoli diesel shop, while another 35 are being repaired in the Dhaka division.

“So far, repair work on 46 engines has been completed. Ahead of Eid, old engines are also being overhauled at the Pahartoli workshop. On average, seven to eight engines are repaired daily,” he said.

However, he noted that the diesel workshop has long faced a shortage of skilled manpower and quality spare parts, making repair work more challenging.

Railway sources said the Eastern Railway currently has 297 locomotives, including 167 meter-gauge and 130 broad-gauge engines.

Officials said the economic lifespan of a railway engine is considered 20 years. More than half of the engines in service have already exceeded that limit.

Of the total fleet, 147 engines have crossed their economic lifespan. Among the remaining engines, 50 are between 21 and 30 years old, 16 are between 31 and 40 years old, and 84 are over 40 years old.

Engineer Mizanur Rahman said around 100 engines are needed daily to maintain normal railway operations in the eastern region, but only 78 to 80 are usually available.

“During Eid, freight train operations remain suspended, allowing some engines to be reassigned for passenger services,” he added.