Railway to invite fresh online ticketing tender by Feb

Bangladesh Railway Plans New Online Ticketing Tender Before Shohoz.com Contract Ends

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh Railway is preparing to launch a fresh tender for the management of its online ticketing platform before the current agreement with Shohoz.com expires in February next year. The proposed tender process was discussed during the second meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Railways at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on 26 October.

The committee, chaired by Mohammad Ali Asghar, focused in part on strengthening transparency in the digital sale of railway tickets. Online ticketing has become an important service channel for passengers, making the choice of a future operator significant for access, oversight and public confidence in the booking system.

Railway officials informed the meeting that preparations were under way to ensure a new vendor could be selected before the existing contract reaches its end. The discussion reflected wider parliamentary attention to how ticketing services are administered and how railway operations can be made more accountable.

Freight Expansion Linked to New Locomotives

Alongside passenger ticketing, the committee reviewed Bangladesh Railway’s freight operations and plans to expand them. Container trains currently run regularly between Chattogram and Dhaka, while rail services also carry fuel and food grains to destinations across the country.

However, the number of freight trains has fallen because Bangladesh Railway does not have enough metre-gauge locomotives in its fleet. The ministry told the committee that increasing locomotive capacity is central to restoring and expanding freight movement.

A development project proposal for the purchase of 30 metre-gauge locomotives has recently received approval. Separately, a tender has already been issued for another 30 locomotives under an earlier approved project. If both batches are procured by 2029, Bangladesh Railway expects to carry more containers, fuel, food grains and other cargo, with the potential to raise railway revenue.

Procurement is also continuing for an additional 20 metre-gauge locomotives through the World Bank-funded Green Railway project. Together, these planned acquisitions would substantially add to the available fleet for goods transport, though the expected operational benefit depends on the locomotives being delivered and deployed as planned.

Coaches, Land Management and Budget Progress

The meeting also covered plans to add 200 broad-gauge coaches to the railway fleet in stages. Bangladesh Railway has already received 18 of those coaches. The phased addition of coaches is intended to strengthen the available rolling stock for broad-gauge services.

Committee members examined progress in implementing the Ministry of Railways budget for the 2026-27 financial year. They also reviewed information on railway land, including land currently in use, land leased to others and land occupied illegally.

The review included revenue earned from leased properties, lists of leaseholders and illegal occupiers, as well as court cases involving railway land. Railway land is a major administrative and financial issue because effective management can protect public assets, improve lease income and reduce disputes over occupation and ownership.

Members additionally discussed the possibility of installing solar panels on railway land and structures. The issue formed part of a broader consideration of how railway-owned assets could be used more productively while supporting operational needs.

Recommendations for Legal, Operational and Regional Services

The parliamentary committee recommended that the ministry appoint lawyers for Bangladesh Railway’s legal department and move to settle outstanding court cases. Addressing pending legal matters was presented as an important step in dealing with land disputes and other unresolved issues affecting the railway system.

It also urged the ministry to work gradually toward making Bangladesh Railway profitable. The recommendation came alongside a call for adequate staffing at level crossings, where personnel remain important to the safe management of railway-road intersections.

Members proposed a feasibility study for a railway line connecting Bhanga and Barishal. Such a study would be needed before any decision on a new route could be taken, allowing the ministry to assess practical requirements, demand and viability.

The committee further suggested introducing a morning commuter train between Benapole and Khulna. A service on that corridor could be particularly relevant to regular travellers seeking an early-day rail option between the two areas.

Officials Present at the Meeting

State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid attended the meeting along with committee members Abdul Mohit Talukder, Esrat Sultana Elen Bhutto and Muhammad Azizur Rahman. The railways secretary, additional secretaries, the director general of Bangladesh Railway, other senior officials and representatives of the Parliament Secretariat were also present.

The meeting brought together several connected priorities for Bangladesh Railway: transparent ticketing, stronger freight capacity, expanded passenger equipment, better land administration and improved legal management. The forthcoming online ticketing tender will be one of the more immediate decisions, while locomotive procurement and network development remain longer-term parts of the railway’s operational plans.