Bangladesh Railway will soon launch two new intercity trains on the Dhaka-Pabna and Dhaka-Khulna routes. This immediate priority is supported by the addition of roughly 200 new passenger coaches to the national fleet this month a move expected to heavily ease travel in the western region.
While several railway routes have opened recently—including the Jamuna Bridge-Pabna line (2018) Dhaka-Padma Bridge route (2022) and Khulna-Mongla route (2024)—a persistent shortage of coaches has prevented the launch of adequate services. Farid Ahmed General Manager of Western Railway confirmed that a proposal to roll out the new Dhaka-Pabna and Dhaka-Khulna intercity trains is currently being finalized.
Once the fleet expands the Ministry of Railways also plans to introduce a new commuter train on the Dhaka-Gopalganj route and extend the Dhaka-Khulna service all the way to Mongla.
Addressing Public Demands and Shortages While the new intercity trains offer progres passengers and civic leaders in the Rajshahi and Jashore regions continue to demand the resumption of suspended local trains and the replacement of old coaches on five existing lines.
Acknowledging the public's frustration and current manpower shortages Ahmed stated that the railway authority is actively hiring new staff and appointing station masters on a contractual basis. These hires will allow Bangladesh Railway to gradually reopen closed stations and bring suspended local services back online.
