Last month, Bangladesh Railway formally launched 'Abhijatri Commuter' train between Dhaka and Gopalganj, drawing praise from the regular passengers of the route. The train is also projected as part of the government's move to expand commuter train services between Dhaka and surrounding districts. It has two objectives: to reduce pressure on Dhaka and to provide budget-friendly, safe transport services to people.
Three weeks after launching the Dhaka-Gopalganj commuter train, a leading vernacular daily published a report on how six local and mail trains on the Bhairab-Mymensingh route stopped operating. Now there is no train for the thousands of poor and low-income people along the route. The last train, popularly known as the Nasirabad Mail, suspended operations from last month. It, however, resumed operation with the possibility of termination of service. The train runs between Ibrahimabad Station in Bhuapur upazila of Tangail and Chattogram via the Bhairab-Mymensingh route, the 631-kilometre railway link was one of the longest in the country. Ibrahimabad Station is situated on the eastern bank of the Jamuna Bridge. The distance from Ibrahimabad to Bhairab is 333 kilometres, and the Nasirabad Mail stops at 27 stations along this route. Serving as a commuter train for a long time, it helped farmers and traders transport farm and other products at a cheaper rate. They will have to pay three to four times as much for transportation of goods, if Nasirabad Mail stops service.
Two incidents reflect the policy incoherence and poor management by Bangladesh Railway authorities. When it is necessary to expand the operation and network of commuter trains systematically, the authorities cut the old routes on the pretext of inadequate carriages, shortage of locomotives and weak tracks.
Commuter trains usually provide transit for passengers travelling from the suburbs to central business districts. The core idea behind operating the train is to transfer a large number of commuters from their homes to distant workplaces and to ensure their return after work. That's why commuter rail service is heavily oriented towards peak commuting hours. It is, thus, different from local or mail trains. A mail train usually carry mail and parcels along with passengers and travels medium-to-long distances with frequent stops. In the absence of dedicated commuter trains, passengers use mail trains or local trains for their daily commute.
For the last couple of years, the Bangladesh Railway has dropped several local trains on the plea of financial losses and irregularities. Passengers, however, are not responsible for the operating losses; rather, they are victims of irregularities and corruption in the railway. Moreover, there is no reason to make commuter trains profitable on various routes. It requires proper and long-term planning. The wrong schedule is another big problem for commuters. For instance, there is no commuter train from Narayanganj to Dhaka between 6:00 am and 8:00 am. Also, the next morning train departs from Narayanganj at 10:25 am. So, thousands of commuters are forced to take public buses, paying higher fares in the morning to attend offices and educational institutions.
Another newspaper report showed that last year, the railway cancelled around 600 trips, forcing commuters to suffer immensely. A lack of crews and locomotive shortages drive cancellations and most of these are local and commuter trains. Moreover, Bangladesh Railway has kept 16 mail and commuter trains-both permanently and temporarily-out of operation since 2020. In addition, six local trains have been permanently withdrawn from service. Instead of addressing the problem, the authorities are more interested in expanding and increasing inter-city train services. There is clearly a need to expand intercity trains, but not at the expense of local and commuter trains.
In Bangladesh, second-class mail, commuter and local trains directly affect the daily lives and economic activities of thousands of rural and suburban people. The government needs to pay serious attention to this matter and take comprehensive measures to expand commuter and local train services. Well-planned investment in commuter trains will pay off substantially.
