Benefits of Luggage Van : Md. Shamsuzzaman

Modern and sophisticated Luggage Vans with refrigerating facilities are going to be added to Bangladesh Railway fleet to transport green vegetables, seasonal fruits, flowers, and other perishable goods (fish, meat, milk, etc.)

Bangladesh Railway, a century-old organization of Bangladesh, has been playing a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country. As Railway is expanding the Rail Administration has a plan to diversify its service into various sectors. One of the most important plans is to bring about a groundbreaking change in the quality of service in the transportation of goods so that various types of marketable products can be delivered to all people including the disadvantaged mainstream of the whole country.

Types and volumes of agro-based products like green vegetables, seasonal fruits, etc. have tremendously been increased over the last few decades. But the farmers are not getting their due benefits/price for lack of proper transportation. Transporting products like vegetables, fishes, milk, seasonal fruits, etc. by these comingluggage vans or dedicated luggage trains will be beneficial for both the farmers and consumers which will create a positive impact on the growth of the national economy. Also, this will add a new dimension to the already existing service of Bangladesh Railway. Overall, the supply chain management of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat will be strengthened in the cities of the country.

At present Bangladesh, Railway has 41 nos. of Meter Gauge and 10 Broad Gauge Luggage Vans. Most of them have crossed their economic life i.e. 35 years. These over aged luggage vans are in a deplorable state. Because of conventional design with the vacuum brake system and of medium speed, these luggage vans are mostly used in local and mail trains. So, the required service is not possible to get from these over-aged luggage vans. For rendering need-based, cheaper, faster, and efficient services, these aged and deplorable stocks are to be replaced immediately by new ones. In this context, procurements of 75 MG and 50 BG luggage vans under “Rolling Stock Operations Improvement Project of Bangladesh Railway (Rolling Stock Procurement)” have been taken by Bangladesh Railway financed by Asian Development Bank. Accordingly, two contracts have been signed between Bangladesh Railway and JV of CNTIC-RAILTECO-ZINXI, CHINA for procurement of 75 nos. Meter Gauge and 50 nos. Broad Gauge Luggage Vans on 31/08/2020.This project is necessary to meet the Economic Development and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the country.

Special Facilities to be gained by these Luggage Vans:

• It will connect the big cities of the country including the capital Dhaka with the remote areas(where lots of vegetables, seasonal fruits, flowers, and other perishable products like fish, meat, dairy, and dairy products are produced) through dedicated luggage trains.
• Refrigerated Luggage Vans will be introduced in Bangladesh Railway to carry perishable goods safely to the sellers/consumer’s end.
• Existing limited opportunities for transportation of imported motor vehicles from Chittagong port to other parts of the country in luggage vans (motor vans) will be increased significantly. The newly procured luggage vans will be equipped with high-quality bogies enabling to run a train at a maximum speed of 100 kilo/hour and 120 kilo/hour with Meter gauge and Broad gauge Luggage Vans respectively.
• As these luggage vans will be equipped with an Automatic Airbrake System, it will be possible to operate the train very fast and safely by connecting the vans to the intercity train.
• Farmers will be able to easily market their products and will be benefitted financially by selling those. On the other hand, the supply of agricultural products in the cities of the country will be facilitated. As a result, the goods will be easily available and will be sold at a fair price.
• Respected traders will get more access than the existing limited opportunities to transport motor vehicles, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and other electronic goods by a luggage train.
• With the launch of this train, the revenue of Bangladesh Railway will increase, which will make a significant contribution to the country’s economy as a whole.

Special Features of these Luggage Vans:

In conclusion, we can say that with these new luggage vans Bangladesh Railway will be able to serve people from every region of the country to a larger extent. Bangladesh Railway is always trying to work on its improvement and advancement. With the constant support of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, BR is working on improving and expanding its services to satiate the public desire. As a consequence of its consistency in planning and working towards continuous development, a new era in transportation of different types of goods, especially in the transportation of food (both perishable and non-perishable) is going to be introduced in the history of BR.

Personal Profile

Mr. Md. Shamsuzzaman is the Director-General of Bangladesh Railway. He was born in 1962 at Jhikargachha in the district of Jessore. After taking his graduation in Mechanical Engineering in 1983 from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, he joined in Bangladesh Railway on 17-02-1985 as an officer of B.C.S Railway Engineering Cadre. He has served in many important posts before holding the present position.