1,334 train accidents in 15 years: Railways minister

Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today said that over the past 15 years, a total of 1,334 rail accidents have occurred.

Responding to a question from Abul Kalam during the question-and-answer session in parliament, the minister said 1,051 of the accidents occurred in the eastern region, while 283 took place in the western region.

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He said rail accidents mainly occur due to defects in railway lines, points and crossings, which lead to derailments. Other causes include wheel flange problems, gauge mismatches and natural factors such as track bending and subsidence.

The minister said preventive measures include regular maintenance of railway tracks and construction of new lines. Disciplinary and legal action is taken against individuals or departments found responsible for accidents, he added.

Replying to a question from Dhaka-18 MP SM Jahangir Hossain, Rabiul said no allegations of irregularities or corruption have so far been reported in the construction of the Metro Rail project.

"If any such allegation arises, immediate action will be taken according to the rules and regulations," he said.

He further stated that the MRT-6 (Uttara North–Kamalapur) project’s DPP has been revised three times. Initially, the estimated cost was Tk 21,985 crore. In the second revision, it rose to Tk 33,472 crore. In the third and latest revision, the estimated cost was set at Tk 32,718 crore.

Answering a question from Rumeen Farhana, the railways minister said that between 2011 and 2026, Bangladesh Railway added 66 broad-gauge locomotives, 41 meter-gauge locomotives, 320 broad-gauge passenger carriages, and 482 meter-gauge passenger carriages to its fleet, at a cost of Tk 6,770 crore.