Ageing locos, spare parts crisis stall railway

Nearly one-third of Bangladesh Railway’s (BR) locomotives is out of service, disrupting passenger and freight operations across the country which exposes deep-rooted failures in maintenance, spare parts procurement and workforce management. 

The railway is now seeking a Tk 680-crore deal with a US company to get 70 engines back on track.

Of the BR’s 270 locomotives, 183 are operational and 87 remain out of service, according to its October records. The breakdown has been attributed to shortages of spare parts, inadequate technical support and a severe shortage of skilled manpower. Some locomotives have remained idle for more than seven years.

The crisis has also affected relatively new engines. Eighteen of the 30 locomotives purchased from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem have become inoperative within four years of entering service, despite an expected economic lifespan of 20 years.

To address the problem, Bangladesh Railway (BR) has proposed a three-year maintenance agreement worth around Tk 680 crore with US-based Progress Rail. The proposed deal would provide maintenance, spare parts and technical support for 70 locomotives in the eastern and western regions. However, it is awaiting clearance from the Finance Division and other relevant agencies.

Of the 87 inoperative locomotives, 53 are undergoing repairs at workshops, 32 are awaiting transfer to workshops and two are awaiting repairs at locomotive sheds.

The backlog includes engines that have been out of operation for years. Locomotives numbered 2710 and 2707 have been awaiting major repairs since May 19, 2019. The former has a defective flywheel ring gear, while the latter has a problem with its flywheel rotation. At least 17 other locomotives have remained under repair for more than a year.

Even newer engines have faced lengthy repair delays. Locomotive No. 3003 has been awaiting major repairs since March 23, 2024, after its compressor piston broke down. No. 6511 has been awaiting repairs since April 1, 2024, because lubricating oil entered its compressor. Another engine, No. 2911, has remained under special repair since May 18, 2024, following accident-related damage.

The railway purchased 30 Hyundai Rotem locomotives in two phases with financing from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Ten engines were bought for Tk 297.63 crore under a 2018 agreement, while another 20 were procured for Tk 674.09 crore under a 2019 contract. The total expenditure was Tk 971.72 crore.

The locomotives entered service in 2022. One became inoperative in 2023, four more in 2024 and another 10 by 2025. The number of inoperative engines reached 18 by June 2026, according to BR data.