China ships first batch of coaches for Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh

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By Global Times

Published: Nov 24, 2022 08:45 PM

Tianjin Port Photo: Courtesy of Tianjin Port Group

The first batch of Chinese-made passenger coaches for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh was shipped on Thursday, in a major move that will greatly promote regional connectivity and the economic development of Bangladesh.

The shipment was an initial batch of 15 out of the 100 coaches made by CRRC Tangshan Co, and it departed from the Port of Tianjin for Bangladesh, according to the Heibei Daily.

The coaches, designed to run at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour and with a broad gauge of 1,676mm, will be used in the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, the largest railway project of China-Bangladesh cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

It marks the first time that welded dissimilar steel bodies with ferrite stainless steel as the main material are applied in exported passenger coaches, in order to cater to the natural environment and operational demand of Bangladesh.

The new wide-gauge railway coaches also feature new structures and technologies such as built-in side doors, split large ventilation shutters and ecological sanitation systems.

The 172-kilometer Padma Bridge Rail Link Project is scheduled to be completed in 2024. It is one of the most significant projects under construction by the China Railway Group (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Bangladesh's largest Padma Bridge opened to traffic in June. The huge infrastructure project, with the main bridge spanning 6.15 kilometers in length, is undertaken by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group. It is the largest and most challenging infrastructure project in Bangladesh's history, Xinhua reported.

The rail link, which passes through the Padma Bridge, is a vital channel that connects the trans-Asian railway network, and it is expected to greatly promote regional connectivity and the economic development of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a major destination for overseas contracts by Chinese infrastructure companies with projects to improve the transportation infrastructure and promote its vital role in regional connectivity.

On November 12, the construction of a mega China-funded elevated expressway project, the 24-kilometer Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, was inaugurated.

The project, with an estimated cost of $1.72 billion, was approved in a bid to enable quick entry and exit of vehicles to and from Dhaka and facilitate transit trade with regional countries, according to Xinhua.

Global Times

 

[Bilal9]

Train coaches exported to Bangladesh​

By ZHANG YU in Shijiazhuang | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2022-11-26 07:35

A railway train coach, manufactured by Hebei province-based CRRC Tangshan Co, is loaded at Tianjin Port for export to Chittagong, Bangladesh. [PHOTO/CHEN BU/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Tangshan, Hebei province-based CRRC Tangshan Co loaded 15 railway train coaches onto ships at Tianjin Port on Thursday for export to Chittagong, Bangladesh.

They are the first batch of broad-gauge coaches to be exported to Bangladesh from China, CRRC Tangshan, which designed and manufactured the coaches, said.

"The coaches will further deepen the two countries' exchanges in rail transit and help improve the railway service in Bangladesh," said Chen Bu, director of the export project at CRRC Tangshan.

The 15 coaches, with a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour, are expected to be used in 2023 over the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project that passes across the Padma Bridge in Bangladesh, Chen said.

The 172-km link is one of the most significant projects under construction by China Railway Group Ltd, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The line that connects the country's capital Dhaka and Jessore is said to be important as it is tipped to link Myanmar and India in the future, Chen said.

Some 100 coaches had been produced for the project in Tangshan by September and the rest will be delivered as and when needed.

Chen said the coaches have been customized for Bangladesh, and have new structures and boast new technology.

Considering the environment and train operation needs of Bangladesh, the coaches were mainly made with ferritic stainless steel and equipped with window-shades for sufficient ventilation, he said.

"They consume less power, need easier maintenance work and provide more comfortable experience for local passengers," Chen said.

Trains made by the company have also been exported to many other countries, including Pakistan, Portugal and Canada.

Earlier this month, 46 broad-gauge coaches, with a designed speed of 160 km per hour, were exported to Pakistan.

CRRC Tangshan said it will also transfer related technologies to Pakistan for updating its coach production line. As of this month, 25 Pakistanis have been trained in related technologies, the group said.

Semi automatic AAR-H couplers for the 100 coaches will be supplied by Dellner USA, as specified by Bangladesh Railway.

New order from CRRC Tangshan Co. LTD. - Dellner

www.dellner.com