The country’s first-ever DEMU commuter train started its trial run on Chittagong-Comilla route on Saturday.
Officials said the first such train left Pahartali Railway Station of the port city of Chittagong around 9:30am.
“This is the first time that DEMU (diesel electric multiple units) train is plying here in Bangladesh. If it turns out successful, similar trains will be pressed into service in other parts of the country,” M Belal Uddin, the chief operational officer, told reporters.
He said this DEMU service is aimed at ensuring comfortable quick journey in short distances easing pressure on roads.
A diesel electric multiple unit or DEMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines.
Each DEMU, having three coaches, can make six trips a day on 20-km Kamalapur-Narayanganj route.
Officials said it might take nearly two hours by bus, whereas a trip on a DEMU train will take only 20-25 minutes from Dhaka to Narayanganj.
Each DEMU can carry 300 passengers at a time which can run at a speed of 60 kilometres an hour.
In the first phase, two commuter trains, known as diesel electric multiple units (DEMUs), will ply between Dhaka and Narayanganj.
Commuter train services will gradually be introduced on Chittagong-Feni, Chittagong-Nazirhat and Chittagong-Dohazari routes.
DEMU trains will also be introduced on two northern routes — Dinajpur-Parbatipur-Rangpur and Lalmonirhat-Parbatipur-Saidpur.
Earlier, Environment and Forests Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said circular trains will be introduced in the port city of Chittagong by March in a bid to ease its growing traffic congestions.
Source: UNB Connect
