Rail Coach Factory, part of Indian Railways, has built a 19-coach rake at its Kapurthala plant as part of a Bangladesh Railway order. The rake comprises three air-conditioned sleeper coaches, three air-conditioned sitting coaches, 11 non-air-conditioned sitting coaches and two power cars, built to 1,676 mm gauge.
The coaches have been tailored to Bangladesh Railway’s requirements, featuring reclining seats with stainless-steel footrests, CCTV, an emergency communication system, partially openable windows, baby care rooms and prayer rooms. The roof structure has been reinforced to accommodate local conditions, including passengers riding on the roof during peak periods.
A key design change involved redesigning the stainless-steel carbody to meet EN 15227 crashworthiness requirements. The coaches’ electrical systems have also been adapted to run at 415V, rather than the 750V standard used across Indian Railways.
The broader 200-coach order, covering seven variants, was signed between RITES — the export arm of Indian Railways — and Bangladesh Railway in spring 2024. The deal is valued at INR 9.1 billion ($95.3 million) and is financed by the European Investment Bank. RCF had previously delivered 120 coaches to Bangladesh in 2015–2016.
