Indian Railways has dispatched the first 18-coach LHB passenger train for Bangladesh under a 200-coach export order, with the rake featuring crashworthy construction, CCTV surveillance, Baby Care and Prayer Rooms, and electrical systems adapted to Bangladesh Railway’s operating requirements.
RITES Ltd announced on Tuesday that the first batch of broad-gauge coaches had been sent to Bangladesh Railway. The coaches were dispatched on October 12, 2026, from the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, Punjab, which is manufacturing all seven variants covered by the agreement.
The first rake comprises 11 non-air-conditioned Shovan chair cars, three AC chair cars, two AC sleeper coaches and two AC power cars. The power cars include a guard room and dedicated luggage space, according to RITES.
The 200-coach order was placed by Bangladesh Railway through RITES in 2024. The coaches are being customised for Bangladesh Railway’s operating conditions and are intended to provide greater passenger comfort while meeting the railway’s technical requirements.
Among the passenger-focused features are reclining seats with stainless steel armrests and footrests. The seats can be adjusted to different reclining positions. Air-conditioned coaches are fitted with fans, while the train also includes an integrated CCTV surveillance system, a passenger alarm system and windows that can be partially opened.
The coaches include a Baby Care Room and a Prayer Room, facilities designed to address passenger needs during long-distance rail journeys. Their roofs have also been structurally reinforced to bear the additional weight of passengers travelling on top of coaches during periods of heavy passenger traffic, the Ministry of Railways said.
Safety design has been adapted through a redesigned coach body shell intended to improve collision protection. The coaches follow a crashworthy design aligned with European Standard EN 15227, according to the ministry. The standard relates to the safety performance of railway vehicles in specified collision scenarios.
The electrical system has been changed to suit Bangladesh Railway’s network. While coaches operated by Indian Railways commonly use a 750-volt system, the coaches being supplied to Bangladesh are designed to work on a 415-volt electrical system.
The export order extends a manufacturing relationship between RCF and Bangladesh Railway that began in 2015-16. The Kapurthala factory previously delivered 120 LHB broad-gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of Railways.
RITES said its supplies to date include more than 280 locomotives and over 1,085 coaches and diesel multiple unit trainsets. The Navratna public sector enterprise has executed projects in more than 55 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, South America and West Asia.
The remaining coaches under the 200-coach agreement are to be manufactured and supplied under the terms of the Bangladesh Railway order. The latest dispatch places the focus on completing the multi-variant export programme while maintaining the technical and passenger-service specifications agreed for Bangladesh’s railway network.
