BANGLADESH: CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, July 13 (Xinhua) — With the last 20 broad-gauge carriages exported from China successfully arriving and unloading in Chittagong city on Tuesday, 100 broad-gauge carriages for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project have now reached Bangladesh, marking the successful delivery of the first single project of this largest railway project in the South Asian country.
Designed in accordance with the country’s natural environment and train operations, the carriages were manufactured in China by CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd. on commission by the project’s general contractor China Railway Group Limited (CREC).
The 100 carriages are all of the latest design, and all the carriages adopt a gauge of 1,676 mm and run at a speed of 120 km per hour. The application of new structures and technologies such as built-in side doors, roof water injection, and split large ventilation louvers can lower energy consumption and make them more maintenance and environmentally friendly.
The layout and interior of the carriages perfectly integrate the cultural elements of Bangladesh, which is more in line with the aesthetic preferences of the local people.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, financed by the Export-Import Bank of China and constructed by CREC, started to deliver five types of broad-gauge carriages to Bangladesh Railway in batches in December 2022. Up to now, 44 of them were put into operation on the existing railway network in Bangladesh, while the remaining carriages will be progressively put into operation.