It needs no mentioning that our highways are over burdened with more vehicles they can handle, which is causing fatal accidents on a daily basis. In a bid to decrease the number of road accidents, we have to opt for rail travel. In this regard, the government should take necessary steps to upgrade the railway to world standard so that dependence on road transportation can be minimised.
Bangladesh Railway has been providing the services with a network which is not suitable for and oriented to the traffic requirements of the country. The railway network, inherited from British Indian railways, received a relatively meagre allocation of resources in the past decades comparing to the road sector.
The government should take necessary steps to upgrade
the railway to world standard so that dependence
on road transportation can be minimised.
It is disheartening to note that none of the previous governments of Bangladesh took any initiative for the expansion of rail network in the country. Rather, many smaller stations have been closed down as people now opt for road travel instead of waiting for hours for the train to come. Many of the districts also remain outside of railway network.
In a land scare country like Bangladesh, there is a need for a paradigm shift from continued investment in the road sector, to developing the railway network and improving its level of services.
Needless to say, the existing rail engines, compartments and services need to be replaced with modern engines and everything else. But a modern railway does not mean new machinery and equipment only. For the new generation speedy trains we need good and solid tracks and digitalised signalling system as well as well trained manpower. While new generation trained manpower has to be recruited, the mindset of the old staffs will need to be changed and they will need extensive training to be able to operate digitalised modern rail engines and signals.
