DHAKA Mass Transit Company (DMTCL) has awarded Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) and Mitsubishi Corporation a Yen 40bn ($US 360m) contract for the supply of 24 six-car metro trains for Dhaka MRT Line 6, together with maintenance depot equipment.

BANGLADESH Railways (BR) issued a notice of intent to Indonesian rolling stock manufacturer PT Inka on June 11 for a contract to supply 200 metre-gauge coaches.

THE government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Railway (BR) have agreed a memorandum of understanding with DP Rail, Britain, to design, finance, build, operate and maintain the new 240km Dhaka - Payra railway.

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) confirmed on September 28 that it will provide Bangladesh with a $US 1.5bn loan to help fund the construction of a 102km dual-gauge railway running south from the metre-gauge railhead at Dohazari to Ramu near the border with Myanmar and the coastal town of Cox's Bazar.

CHINA Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has signed a Taka 276.5bn ($US 3.5bn) contract on August 8 with the Bangladeshi government to build a new east-west railway via the 6.2km road-rail Padma Bridge.

A new fleet of long-distance coaches entered passenger service with Bangladesh Railway (BR) on June 25, when the country's prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed launched the new Sonar Bangla Express service from the capital Dhaka to the port city of Chittagong.

FOLLOWING an international tender, Bangladesh Railways (BR) has awarded PT Inka, Indonesia, a Taka 5.62bn ($US 71m) contract to supply 150 stainless steel-bodied passenger coaches, including 50 broad-gauge and 100 metre-gauge vehicles.

THE government of Bangladesh has signed a €135m loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance track-doubling and upgrading of the 72km Laksam - Akhaura line in central Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH Railway (BR) has awarded a Rs 200m ($US 3m) contract to Barsyl, India, to conduct detailed design and construction supervision for the rehabilitation of the Kulaura - Shahbazpur line.