India: Manufacturer Rail Coach Factory (RCF), part of national operator Indian Railways, has built a 19-coach rake at its Kapurthala plant. It 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, with reclining seats fitted with stainless-steel footrests, CCTV, an emergency communication system, partially openable windows, baby care rooms and prayer rooms. Given local operating conditions, the roof structure has been reinforced to cope with passengers riding on the roof during peak periods.
One notable change was a redesign of the stainless-steel carbody to meet EN 15227 crashworthiness requirements. The coaches’ electrical systems have also been adapted to run at 415 V, rather than the 750 V standard used across Indian Railways.
The 200-coach order, covering seven variants, was signed in spring 2024 between RITES — the export arm of the Indian operator — and Bangladesh Railway. The deal is valued at INR 9.1 bln ($95.3 mln) and is financed by the European Investment Bank. RCF previously delivered 120 coaches to Bangladesh in 2015–2016, and China’s CRRC has also supplied similar rolling stock to the country.
