The first shipment comprises of four of the seven types of coaches covered by the contract. The first set of coaches include 11 non-air-conditioned Shovon chair cars, three air-conditioned chair cars, two air-conditioned sleeper coaches and two air-conditioned power cars. The power cars include separate rooms for guards and space for luggage.
"Made in India. Moving the World. The 1st rake of 18 passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway has been dispatched from Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, marking another feat in RITES' export journey. From manufacturing excellence to cross-border connectivity, we're #ShapingWhatShapesLives," RITES said in a post on social media platform X.
Made in India. Moving the World. 🇮🇳🇧🇩 The 1st rake of 18 passenger coaches for Bangladesh Railway has been dispatched from @KapurthalaRcf, marking another feat in #RITES' export journey. From manufacturing excellence to cross-border connectivity, we're #ShapingWhatShapesLives. https://t.co/OHJiqyq6Xs
— RITES Limited (@RITESLIMITED) October 13, 2026
The seating arrangement incorporates specially designed reclining chairs with stainless steel armrests and stainless-steel footrests, offering multiple reclining positions for enhanced passenger comfort. The coaches are equipped with a number of passenger-centric features, including fans in AC coaches, an integrated CCTV surveillance system, a passenger alarm system, partially openable windows, a Baby Care Room and a Prayer Room.
Considering the specific operating conditions, the roof structure has been strengthened to withstand additional loading arising from passengers travelling on the roof during peak traffic periods. Bangladesh Railway is infamous for passengers travelling on rooftops of trains as the railways in the country has not been electrified.
The electrical systems in the coaches have also been adapted to Bangladesh Railway's requirements. While Indian Railways coaches use a 750-volt power system, the coaches supplied to Bangladesh are designed to operate on 415 volts, the prevalent system there.
RITES Limited, a Navratna and Schedule 'A' Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, incorporated on April 26, 1974, is a multidisciplinary engineering and consultancy organization, providing a comprehensive range of services from concept to commissioning in all facets of transport infrastructure and related technologies. The company's market capitalization has placed it among the top 500 listed companies in India, a testament to the high-quality solutions and services it delivers, driven by its talented pool of professionals.
RITES, with its five-decades of experience now exports products and services in more than 55 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Middle East regions. The company is the export arm of Indian Railways for providing rolling stock (including locomotives, coaches, trainsets etc.).
Bangladesh is set to import 200 broad-gauge railway coaches from India, with the first deliveries now being rolled out. The deliveries of the 200 coaches are likely to be completed by December 2027 under a Rs 915 crore deal. The project, financed by the European Investment Bank, will see the new coaches being added to the ageing Bangladesh Railway fleet between October 2026 and December 2027.
The association between RCF and Bangladesh Railway began with the successful supply of 120 LHB broad gauge passenger coaches during 2015-16. Building upon this successful partnership, Bangladesh Railway once again entrusted RCF, through RITES, with a prestigious order in 2024 for the manufacture and supply of 200 broad gauge passenger coaches in seven variants.