Regional Meeting on Harmonization of Rules and Regulations for Facilitation of International Railway Transport, Ankara, Turkey, 3-4 May 2018 Country Position Paper BANGLADESH Md. Miajahan Additional Director General(Operation), Bangladesh Railway, Rail Bhaban, Dhaka. Presentation Sequence Brief of Bangladesh Railway Operational Information Vision, Historic Land Mark, Major Regional Connectivity Related to Bangladesh TAR, SAARC, SASEC, BIMSTEC, BCIM, SILK ROUTE Opportunities of Bangladesh to be Transport Hub Major Initiatives for Regional Connectivity Impediments and Initiatives Progress, Issued to be Addressed for Connectivity Brief about Bangladesh Railway 1862: Started its journey as Eastern Bengal Railway with 53.11 km Jagoti- Darsana BG Rail link. 1947 : India and Pakistan seperated 1947: Started East Pakistan Railway 1961: Renamed as Pakistan Eastern Railway. 1972: Started providing services as Bangladesh Railway. 1998: East-West Railway connectivity over river Jamuna was established from the day of opening Bangabandhu Bridge. 2003: Direct BG train communication between East and West zone was established over Bangabandhu Bridge. 2007: Bangladesh signed TAR agreement. 2008: Passenger train “Maitree Express” between Dhaka and Kolkata Started Operation. 2011: Ministry of Railways formed under SRO-361. Covers and connects 44 Districts of the country out of 64 Districts. 2015-2016: 71 mi Passengers and 2.55 mi tonnes freight carried by BR Total Route KM2877.10 km MG: 1808.05 km BG: 659.33 km DG: 409.72 km East Zone: 1308.27 km West Zone: 1568.83 km Operational Division: 4 Dhaka Chittagong Paksey Lalmonirhat Historic Land Mark On 23 June 1998: The first revolutionary development in BR was to connect east and west zone by rail link through Bangabandhu Bridge. Vision To expand and improve the railway system to provide safer, better, a more environment friendly and cost effective transport facility to the national and international traffic. Foster international rail links to serve regional/sub-regional connectivity and Trans Asian Railway.(perspective plan) To play an important and dominant role in an integrated transport system by emphasis its strength.( BR Master Plan) Strategy to Achieve the Vision Gauge conversion and maintenance enhancement-Regional Integration Unlocking line capacity-Signal and Telecom New Rail line construction Rolling stock procurement and maintenance enhancement To increase market share Regional Connectivity Relating to BangladeshRegional Railway Transport Connectivity in South & South East Asia TAR Network SAARC Route SASEC Corridors BIMSTEC BCIM Route Silk Route ASEAN There are 9 (Nine) Cross Border points between India and Bangladesh, namely 1. Darshana (BR)-Gede(IR) are in operation 2. Benepole(BR)-Petrapole(IR) are in operation 3. Rahonpur(BR)-Singabad (IR) are in operation 4. Birol(BR)-Radhikapur (IR) are in operation 5. Shahbazpur(BR)-Mohishashan (IR) are Re- Linking 6. Chilahati(BR)-Holdibari(IR) are closed since 1965 7. Burimari(BR)-Chenrabandha (IR) are closed since 1971 8 . Akhaura(BR)-Agartala(IR)- new Railway link Under Construction.. 9.Feni-Belonia - Under study for Re-Linking Existing Connectivity with India: •Benapole – Petrapole •Darsana – Gede •Rohanpur – Singhabad •Birol – Radhikapur Closed Connectivity (work is going on to restore the connectivity) : •Shahbazpur – Mohishasan (since 07-07-02) Proposed new Connectivity: •Chilahati – Holdibari •Burimari – Chengrabandha •Akhaura - Agartala •Dohazari – Cox’s Bazar - Gundum Connectivity with Nepal & India: •Rohanpur – Singhabad (by addendum to MOU). •Birol – Radhikapur Connectivity with Bhutan & India: INDIAN & MYANMAR •Chilahati – Holdibari (by constructing 7 km RAILWAYS CONNECTIVITY missing link in Bangladesh side and signing a WITH BANGLADESH new MOU). •Burimari – Chengrabandha (transshipment facilities at Burimari and signing a new MOU). Trans-Asian Railway network and Bangladesh TAR-3 Radhikapur Birol Dinazpur (India) Parbatipur TAR-2 Mohishasan TAR ROUTE – 1 : Singabad (India) Shahbazpur Gede (West Bengal, India) – Darsana(India) – Rohanpur Ishurdi – Jamtoil – Joydebpur – Tongi – Akhaura – Chittagong – Dohazari – Abdulpur Kulaura Gundum – (Mynmar border station). Ishurdi Tongi Sub-route – I : Tongi – Dhaka. Sub-route – II : Akhaura – Kulaura – Dhaka Akhaura Shahbazpur – Mahisasan (India) Darsana Bhanga TAR ROUTE – 2 : Jessore Singabad (West Bengal, India) – TAR-1 TAR-4 Rohanpur – Rajshahi – Abdulpur – Ishurdi Benapole Gede and thereafter following the rest of the KHULNA Chittagong (India) route/sub-routes of Route – I. Dohazari TAR ROUTE – 3 : Radhikapur (West Bengal, India) – Birol – Ramu Dinajpur – Parbatipur – Abdulpur – Gundum Ishurdi and thereafter following the rest of the route/sub-routes of Route – I. Myanmar Government’s Strategic Position to Facilitate Regional Rail Transportation •Adopting a master plan to be developed Railways in phases • Prioritize physical infrastructure development of Main Rail corridor • Closing the infrastructure gaps and up gradation of others Rail Corridor • Address Rail transport facilitation bottlenecks • Regional transit agreements to enable cross border movements of Passenger & Freight. Government’s Strategic Position on establishing TAR Metre Gauge Track Dual Gauge Track Metre Gauge Track Dual Gauge Track Bangladesh Railway’s Future Projects Step Toward Development PHASE NO OF PROJECT REMARKS PROJECTS VALUE MUSD COMPLETED PROJECTS 25 513.97 Phase-1: 2010-2015 (Existing MP) ONGOING PROJECTS 36 1644.23 Investment Phase-1: 2016-2020 (Existing MP) Project-36 TA projects-07 (24.81) Phase-I: 2016-2020 76 18696.12 ➢ 20 Nos gauge Phase-II: 2021-2025 63 14946.62 conversion Phase-III: 2026-2030 30 10744.50 projects ➢ 39 Nos RS Phase-IV: 2031-2035 22 12068.85 Related projects Phase-V: 2036-2040 12 10300.75 Phase-VI: 2041-2045 4 1365.00 Passenger Train Between Bangladesh and India Bandan Express Maitree Express Khulna- Kolkata Dhaka- Kolkata 9 Nov.2017 14-April 2008 FIRST CONTAINER GOODS TRAIN FROM TRAIN FROM INDIA INDIA 3-4 APRIL 2018 Management Level Meeting Between BR & IR Historical Origin of the International Freight Train Operation between Bangladesh and Indian Railway : • In the regime British India different railways started being constructed having common junctions with each other, • For Train Operation and Interchanging Rolling stock an Indian Conference Association was formed in 1879 • One of its major functions on going over Inter- Railway movement between Bangladesh and Indian Railway. With regard to the clearance of traffic from One railway to Another, two important issues arose :- (i) Whether wagons loaded with foreign railway traffic should be permitted to go to the adjoining Railways . If permitted to go how it should be returned to the Owning railways. (ii) Should the Railway supply its own wagons or should each railway supply its own stock to load commodity to areas served by that railway. Till now each railway managed with its own wagons to the extent possible and even when a loaded wagon was exchange to another railway, it will be returned, loaded or empty, by the same route by which it was received . Carriage & wagon Interchange Control: With regard to the maintenance question , it was decided to have carriage and wagon Interchange control at the Interchange Junctions/ points and a certain standard of Examination of stock laid down at these junctions/ points. The defects found on wagons are classified into two type: (i) Penalty Item (ii) Reject- able Items. Whenever a defect classified as a Penalty item is found a debit is raised the railway handing over the wagon. A Reject-able defect renders the wagon to be rejected at interchange point till the defect is repaired and the wagon offered again. Cross Border or Interchange Instructions: In order that each Railway’s wagon holdings do not get unbalanced by inter- railway movement of traffic it is necessary that in the overall transactions between adjacent railways, the railway does not gain or lose in wagons. This could be done by arranging strict equalization at each junction but traffic requirements demand that there should be greater flexibility in the matter. Record of Cross Border or Interchange Transaction : To maintain record of movement of wagons interchanged at interchange junctions/points , junction verifiers(TXR) are posted at the junction who are drawn from number taking staff. These junction verifiers issue a report/message every day giving the Interchange transactions between individual railways from midnight to midnight. In giving the total number of wagons handed over by each railway, the breakdown into loaded & Empties and covered and Open is given. Vehicle Movement Record: Besides the Interchange message, the junction verifiers also maintain daily statement of individual number and type of wagons Interchanged. Towards this aim, Both IR & BR has to – (i) keep an intensive watch over the working of marshalling and terminal yards; (ii) Supervise the ordering and working of goods trains; (iii) Maintain an effective control on the utilization and movement of goods locos from the time it leaves the home shed till it arrives back to the home shed; (iv) Arrange for equitable distribution and economics utilization of empties; (v) Watch the detention to wagons in marshalling yards, terminal depots, stations and transshipment points. Cross Border Formalities of Railways & Custom : Railway station Authority : •Received Railway Receipt ( RR) • Received Packing list • Received Vehicle Guidance •After receiving all documents station