DHAKA, July 13, 2018 (BSS) – Like developed countries, Bangladesh Railway
(BR) would soon wash and clean its coaches automatically leaving the existing
manual system, said officials.
They said BR has taken a pilot project to set up the first ever automatic
washing plant (AWP) which is expected to come into operation next year with
the aim to reduce wash and clean time to maintain train movement schedule.
Talking to BSS, Project Director of BR’s AWP project Harun-Or-Rashid said
initially two AWPs are being installed in Dhaka and Rajshahi railway stations
on trial basis.
“One plant in Dhaka’s Kamalapur railway station would wash metre-gauge
coaches while another in Rajshahi station will clean broad-gauge coaches,” he
said, adding, “Upon the success of those, more AWPs would be installed in
other junctions in phases.”
The AWPs are being installed under the scheme for procurement of 250
metre-gauge and broad-gauge coaches with the financing of Asian Development
Bank.
Officials said in manual system, one and a half hours are needed to wash
and clean a train, but it would require additional 30 minutes if any train
has more coaches. Apart from time, additional manpower and cost are involved
with the manual process.
In the manual process, they said, detergent powder and other chemicals are
poured into bucket for making washing mixture, but time and again a good
portion of it is wasted.
Officials said trains are being washed and cleaned at the wash-feed of 13
railway stations across the country using the manual system.
Harun-Or-Rashid said shortage of manpower often requires additional time
to clean and wash train that hampers the schedule of train movement.
“But, when we would use automatic washing system, it would require highest
five minutes for washing and cleaning a train without any touch of hand,” he
added.
Mentioning that maintaining the schedule of train movement is a tough job
here, the AWP project director said: “If additional 30 minutes or 1 hour is
required during wash and clean of a train, maintaining the schedule of train
becomes tougher.”