Letters to the editor
Railway electrification in Bangladesh!
Sir
Although electric trains do not need fuel on board; it does needs fuel for producing the electric power needed for running the electric trains for which ensuring continuous and uninterrupted power supply has to be a MUST! In Bangladesh context; that is unfortunately not the case; as we have all been seeing the reality, over the past decades!
For electric trains; extra capital will be a must for setting up the power plants as well as all the needed HT overhead power cables all over the whole network of tracks; for providing power both for all passenger and goods train. Naturally; additional back-up power will also be necessary to ensure that there is no repeat no; power interruption or any power failure at all across the railway network; which unfortunately has not been our experience in Bangladesh over the decades, both in the domestic and industrial power sectors.
Here the reality is that almost all factories have their own power generating sets, to cater for sudden and un-programmed PDBs power supply interruptions! Furthermore for electric trains, the whole track system has to be upgraded for the higher speed and faster acceleration, that can be availed from electric traction; which is not possible for steam driven trains!
Engr.S.A.Mansoor
Dhaka
