Bangladesh Railway is launching the train service about seven months after the inauguration of the Khulna-Mongla rail line. The project is being funded by Indian loans granted around 13 years ago.
The broad gauge line will run for 64.75km and is aimed at boosting internal and trans-boundary trade, but Bangladesh Railways need to procure broad gauge container wagons in order to fully benefit from the project.
The Bangladesh Railways has put forward a Development Project Proposal to the Ministry of Railways recently to procure 290 container wagons, meaning it may take three to four years to add such wagons to BR’s fleet, officials said.