Locomotives of Bangladesh
In the rail transport system of Bangladesh, diesel locomotives are used by Bangladesh Railway (BR). Among diesel locos, there are diesel-electric and diesel-hydraulic locos. Besides diesel locos, steam locos were used in the past, but now they are no longer used. By gauge, there are narrow-gauge (762 mm), meter-gauge (1,000 mm) and broad-gauge (1,676 mm) locos in Bangladesh. Among them, as no narrow-gauge railroads are active, so the narrow-gauge locos are not used anymore.[citation needed]
In 2013, the government allocated ৳600 crore (US$56 million) to import 20 units of diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) trains from China's CRRC Tangshan, intending to enhance short-distance train travel. However, these controversial trains quickly became inoperative due to inadequate maintenance stemming from insufficient facilities and expertise. While BR managed to repair one using local technologies, all 20 imported sets of DEMU trains have since been abandoned in various workshops due to waning interest among railway officials.[1][2]
As of 2020, total 476 meter-gauge and broad-gauge diesel locos (including the old 11 class 3000 locos) have been imported in Bangladesh. Most of them are diesel-electric, but 80 locos are diesel-hydraulic. Among the 476 locos, 349 are meter-gauge and 127 are broad-gauge.[3] All diesel-hydraulic locos were produced by Ganz-MÁVAG of Hungary. Various companies produced the diesel-electric locos, notable among them are Progress Rail, Hyundai Rotem, DLW, GMD, ALCO and MLW.[4][5][6][7]
Diesel locomotives[edit]
Meter-gauge diesel locomotives[edit]
| Class
series |
Class
name |
Builder | Model | Nos. | Number | First
introduced |
Power
(hp) |
Speed
(km/h) |
Base | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | MEG-11 | GMD | B12 | 40 | 2000–2039 | 1953 | 1125 | 100 | CGPY | 
|
| 2100 | GEU-14 | GE | UM13C | 10 | 2101–2110 | 1964 | 1,370 | 103 | ? | 
|
| 2200 | MEG-9 | GMD | GL8 | 41 | 2201–2241 | 1961 | 875 | 124 | CGPY Kamalapur Pahartali Parbatipur |
|
| 2300 | MEM-14 | MLW | DL535A/RSD-30 | 24 | 2301–2324 | 1969 | 1400 | 96 | Kamalapur Parbatipur |
|
| 2400 | 12 | 2401–2412 | 1978 | 
| ||||||
| 2500 | MEH-14 | Hitachi | HFA13A | 18 | 2501–2518 | 1982 | 1400 | 96 | Kamalapur | .jpg)
|
| 2600 | MEG-15 | GMD | GT18LA-2 | 16 | 2601–2616 | 1988 | 1500 | 107 | Pahartali | 
|
| 2700 | MEL-15 | Henschel Adtranz |
JT18U6 | 21 | 2701–2721 | 1994 | 1500 | 107 | Pahartali | .jpg)
|
| 2800 | MED-14 | BLW | DL535A/ RSD-30 (YDM 4BR) |
10 | 2801–2810 | 1996 | 1400 | 96 | ? | 
|
| 2900 | MEI-15 | Hyundai Hyundai Rotem |
GT18LA-2 | 39 | 2901–2939 | 1999 | 1500 | 107 | Kamalapur Pahartali Parbatipur |
|
| 3000 | ||||||||||
| MEI-20 | Hyundai Rotem | GT38ACL | 30 | 3001–3030 | 2020 | 2200 | 140 | Kamalapur Pahartali |
.jpg)
| |
| 3100 | MEE-5 | English Electric | EEU-6 | 26 | 3101–3126 | 1973 | 550 | 56 | Pahartali | |
| 3200 | MHZ-5 | Ganz-MÁVAG | DHM 10 | 22 | 3201–3222 | 1980 | 590 | 60 | Dewanganj | 
|
| 3300 | MHZ-8 | Ganz-MÁVAG | DHM 12 | 38 | 3301–3338 | 1983 | 800 | 72 | Bonarpara | 
|
Broad-gauge diesel locomotives[edit]
| Class
series |
Class
name |
Builder | Model | Nos. | Numbering | First
introduced |
Power
(hp) |
Speed
(km/h) |
Base | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6000 | BEA-20 | Alco | DL543/RSD-34 | 18 | 6000–6017 | 1965 | 2000 | 106 | Ishwardi | 
|
| 6100 | BEM-20 | MLW | DL543/RSD-34 | 16 | 6101–6116 | 1969 | 2000 | 106 | Ishwardi | 
|
| 6200 | BEH-24 | Hitachi | HFA26A | 12 | 6201–6212 | 1980 | 2450 | ? | Ishwardi | 
|
| 6300 | BEB-22 | Bombardier | MX 624 | 12 | 6301–6312 | 1980 | 2200 | 105 | Ishwardi | 
|
| 6400 | BED-26 | BLW | DL560C (WDM 2B) |
10 | 6401–6410 | 2001 | 2600 | 120 | Ishwardi | 
|
| BLW | DL560C (WDM 2CA) |
3 | 6411–6413 | 2004 | 2600 | 120 | Ishwardi | 
| ||
| 6500 | BED-30 | BLW | DL560C (WDM 3A) |
26 | 6501–6526 | 2012 | 3100 | 120 | Ishwardi | 
|
| BED-33 | BLW | DL560C (WDM 3D) |
30 | 6527–6556 | 2020 | 3300 | 160 | Ishwardi | 
| |
| 6600 | BEP-32 | Progress Rail | GT42AC | 40 | 6601–6640 | 2021 | 3250 | 140 | Ishwardi | 
|
| 7000 | BHZ-5 | Ganz-MÁVAG | DHM 9 | 20 | 7001–7020 | 1980 | 500 | 60 | Dewangonj | 
|
List of preserved Diesel locomotives[edit]
| Class | Loco no. | Location | Builder | Build no. | Transmission | Engine type | Gauge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEG-11 | 2000 | Diesel Workshop, Pahartali, Chittagong | General Motors Diesel | A443 | Diesel-electric | Two-stroke | Metre gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
| MHZ-8 | 3309 | Central Locomotive Workshop, Parbatipur, Dinajpur | Ganz Mavag, Budapest, Hungary | Diesel-hydraulic | Metre gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) | ||
| MHZ-8 | 3332 | Saidpur Works, Nilphamari | Ganz Mavag, Budapest, Hungary | Diesel-hydraulic | Metre gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
Steam locomotives[edit]
A small number of steam locomotives are preserved in Bangladesh.[8]
| Location | Class | Builder | Wheel arrangement |
Gauge | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka Railway HQ | YD 718 | Nippon | 2-8-2 | Metre gauge | 
|
| Saidpur Works | CS 15 | W. G. Bagnall, England | 2-4-0T | Narrow Gauge 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | |
| Saidpur Works | SGC-2 240 | Vulcan Foundry, England | 0-6-0 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) | 
|
| Paksay Railway HQ | CB 8 | Vulcan Foundry, England | 2-4-0T | Narrow Gauge 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | .jpg)
|
| Pahartoli Works | CB 7 | Vulcan Foundry, England | 2-4-0T | Narrow Gauge 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) | 
|
| Rajshahi Railway HQ | HPS 30 | Vulcan Foundry, England | 4-6-0 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) | 
|
| National Scout Training Center, Mouchak, Gazipur | RC 233 | Metre gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
The 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge locomotives are from the Rupsa-Bagerhat railway which was the only 2 ft 6 in gauge line in East Pakistan when colonial India was partitioned in 1947. It was re-gauged to 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge in 1970.
References[edit]
- ^ Hossain, Anowar (15 May 2023). "No DEMU train operative, no one takes the blame". Prothom Alo English. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Railway plan to repair controversial DEMU trains shelved". The Financial Express. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ মেয়াদোত্তীর্ণ ইঞ্জিনে চলছে ট্রেন | বাংলাদেশ প্রতিদিন. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "ANALYSIS OF PROBLEMS" (PDF). Bangladesh Railway. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
- ^ "DLW bags order for 16 locomotives from Bangladesh Railways". Global Rail News. 28 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
- ^ "Bangladesh Railway orders Progress Rail locomotives". International Railway Journal. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ "Bangladesh taps Progress Rail for GT Series power". Railway Age. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ "Preserved Steam Locomotives in Bangladesh". Internationalsteam.co.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
