Two people were died in a collision between running train and a truck in Purbo Fazilpur Muhuriganj Bridge in Feni. The accident took place on Friday (April 5) morning. Gateman Md Saiful went missing soon after the accident. Among the deceased, one was the driver and the other was helper of the truck. Police and witnesses said the accident happened around 8:30 at the rail gate adjacent to the East Fazilpur Muhuriganj Bridge in Feni Sadar Upazila. The Chattogram-bound mail train hit the truck while crossing the trail track as the gateman failed to place the bar despite the arrival of the train. Later, the railway authorities removed the truck and the bodies lying on the railway track. 

Railway Minister Zillul Hakim has said that there will be no hike in railway fares before the upcoming Eid al-Adha. The railway minister clarified the matter to the media on Sunday (March 17) after some media reports published that railway fares may increase from April 1. Zillul Hakim also said that no decision has been taken to increase rail fares. "Railway fares will not increase in the near future," he added. Meanwhile, at a program in Rajbari on Sunday, the railway minister said that 800 coaches will be imported in the country within the next one year. New engines will also be introduced. They will be implemented with new projects to modernize the railway.  

First a three-day strike at the beginning of January, now an unprecedented six-day strike: German train drivers' actions will hit companies, ports and consumers alike. But what are the actual consequences? The wage dispute between Germany's state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the train drivers' union GDL is entering the next round. The GDL called another strike on Monday, after paralyzing many rail services for three days at the beginning of January. This time, passenger transport will be affected from Wednesday morning (January 24 from 2 a.m. CET) until Monday evening, making it almost six days — and thus the longest strike in the history of the railroads in Germany. In freight transport, the strike is to begin on Tuesday evening and also end on Monday at 6 p.m., a total of 144 hours. The strike is not only hurting Deutsche Bahn. It's also impacting other German firms that transport their raw materials or goods by rail. In addition, the consequences will also be felt in neighboring countries. Nearly 60% of Deutsche Bahn's freight transport services are carried out across Europe. Six out of 11 corridors for freight transport in Europe run through Germany, according to the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. As Thomas Puls of the German Economic Institute put it: "Germany is the logistical heart of Europe." Cost will be hard to quantify The costs of such strikes are difficult to assess. Without actual production losses, the costs would not be deducible from any statistic, according to Puls. Analyses of previous strikes showed that they can cause losses of up to €100 million ($110 million) per day. Michael Grömling, head of economic research at the German Economic Institute, said the costs of a six-day strike would no longer increase linearly but would multiply in some cases. "We are quickly looking at a billion euros in damage," he said. In addition, the impact of the freight transport strike is set to be felt even afterward in the form of traffic disruptions. After the last freight transport strike, it took days for the traffic jams to clear up. Deutsche Bahn is forecasting a loss of around €25 million per day for the company alone. Commerzbank Chief Economist Jörg Krämer estimates the strike will reduce value creation in just the transport sector by €30 million per day, which corresponds to 0.3% of daily gross domestic product. "Much greater economic damage would occur if factories had to shut down their production due to supply problems," warned Krämer. "In addition, the rail strike is putting a strain on people's nerves and tarnishing Germany's already tarnished image as a business location." Frank Huster, managing director of the German Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association, said the strikes could lead to logistics companies losing confidence in rail freight transport. Its reputation was already suffering severely due to repeated technical failures, an extremely decrepit railway network and continuing infrastructure problems, he said. This is not a good starting position for the goal of transporting more goods by rail. According to the 2021 German government coalition treaty, the market share of rail in freight transport is to increase to 25% by 2030. The current market share is 19%.   Freight transport by train is essential A large portion of goods, about two-thirds, is transported via roads in Germany; just under one-fifth is transported by rail. Nonetheless, freight transport by rail was very important, traffic expert Puls told DW. "Even if it's not that clear when we look at the market shares — a lot of rail transports cannot be processed in another way, or only with major difficulties," he said. Large industries like the steel and chemical industry, for instance, are dependent on rail transport. Without black coal, delivered by rail, neither the steel industry's furnaces nor the power stations that secure the production of electricity can be operated. As far as several dangerous goods used in the chemical industry are concerned, rail transport is even required by law because of the reduced risk of accidents on trains. Products used by the car industry, as well as finished vehicles, are also loaded onto trains. All vehicles designated for export are transported by train to the international port of Bremerhaven, where they're loaded onto car ships, said Puls. But what happens when trains are canceled? According to Puls, there aren't enough car carrier trucks to transport that  many vehicles via roads. Other freight service providers could benefit Although Deutsche Bahn is the largest provider of rail freight transport (with a market share of over 40%), there are also many private providers covering the remaining freight transport volume. They won't be directly affected by strikes. "Some 60% of the rail freight traffic is running as usual and often even reaches its destination better due to less rail traffic," said Peter Westenberger, managing director of the association Die Güterbahnen, in which DB Cargo's competitors are mainly organized. The private companies also occasionally pick up goods that DB Cargo is unable to transport due to the strike.  However, if the railroad's signalmen also go on strike, nothing will work. There would also be no more emergency runs, according to Puls. "Without central traffic control, no train will run," he said. Fears of container jams in ports Other parts of the logistics chain — such as ports — are also affected by the strike. "As soon as ports run out of container storage space, there‘ll be huge problems," Puls said. At the port of Hamburg, for instance, most containers coming in on ships continue their journey by train. Puls said switching to road transport isn't a realistic option.  "Probably we don't have enough trucks, and even if we had them, we would not be able to dispatch as many to Hamburg as are necessary to move the number of containers which are usually transported by rail out of the port," he said. A view of containers in the Port of Hamburg German economic slowdown partially alleviates strike consequences However, the currently sluggish economic activity does help to alleviate the effects of the strike. When industrial production is operating far below capacity, it's easier to postpone production if goods are not delivered on time, said Puls. Nonetheless, costs are obviously still incurred for rescheduling production and logistics chains. Moreover, large companies aren't completely unprepared, which will also alleviate the negative effects of the strike. All in all, supply chains have become more resilient in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huster said. Even in the absence of a strike, it wouldn't be unusual for a freight train to be delayed for a day, he added, so the industry had certain buffers and had set up storehouses for emergencies. Due to the economic conditions, even the situation in the ports is unlikely to reach critical levels very quickly. "In a better economic climate we would, with trains not running, reach the absolute limit after approximately five days," said Puls.  

Two school students have been killed after being hit by a train while playing 'Free Fire' on their mobile phones while sitting on the railway track in Jamalpur.   The accident occurred at the Bottola Bazar area of the ​​Dumuth Union at around 1.30pm on Monday (Jan 22), said Raju Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of Melandah Police Station. The identities of the victims were not known yet.   The OC said that two of them died on the spot after being hit by a Dewanganj-bound commuter train.   However, it is believed that they could not hear the train coming because they were wearing earphones.   The OC said that the bodies of the victims were taken to the police station.  

Commuters in Germany are facing a day of delays and disruptions, as train drivers strike and farmers block roads. Germany is facing potential transport chaos on Wednesday caused by a three-day nationwide strike by train drivers, coupled with ongoing protests by farmers angered by planned subsidy cuts. The train strike was given the go-ahead on Tuesday after a labor court in Frankfurt rejected a temporary injunction sought by German rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB). During the strike, rail services will run on a heavily reduced emergency timetable, forcing many of DB's millions of passengers to cancel their journeys or find other ways of getting to their destinations. Some 80% of long-distance services will be canceled, while regional lines will be affected to varying extents, DB said. Freight train drivers will also be striking until Friday evening. The strike has been called by the train drivers' union, GDL, which is demanding better wages, along with a reduction in work from 38 down to 35 hours a week. It is the third and largest strike by the drivers since their union took up negotiations with DB and other carriers in November.  Union vows strikes will continue GDL chief Claus Weselsky told broadcaster ZDP on Wednesday that strikes would continue until his union's demands were met and that DB "must make offers that are substantial."    "If nothing comes by Friday, we'll take a break then go into the next labor dispute," he said, calling DB's latest offer "a provocation." DB has proposed giving drivers various options on the number of hours they work from 35 to 40 hours per week. Farmers blocking roads The rail strike comes as German farmers vowed to ramp up their nationwide protests against planned subsidy cuts, such as those for diesel fuel. Since Monday, farmers have been blocking a number highway entrances with their tractors, as well as holding rallies in towns and cities. The protests have caused considerable disruption to traffic.  Some observers have criticized the fact that many conservatives have given their support to the farmers' protests after slamming similar tactics used by Last Generation climate activists. Others have expressed concern that the far right has harnessed the farmers' anger to support its own agenda. In a newspaper interview published on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir voiced understanding for the farmers' fears, saying many were worried that their interests were being overlooked in a political landscape dominated by urban actors. However, he warned that the current social atmosphere could lead to a situation "like that in the US," where people "do not talk with each other, do not believe each other and assume the absolute worst of each other." The strikes and protests come as Germany's coalition government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz faces huge challenges in pushing through its 2024 budget.   

At least four people were burned to death as an intercity train caught on fire in the capital’s Gopibagh. The deceased could not be identified yet.  The Benapole Express train caught on fire at around 9:05pm on Friday (Jan 5).    Seven firefighting units brought the blaze under control at 10:20pm, said Rakibul Hasan, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence. At least five compartments of the train have been set ablaze by miscreants.  Ashraf Hossain, sub-inspector of Dhaka Railway Police Station, said they received information about the fire from the emergency service number 999 around 9:07pm. Police officials feared that people could be trapped inside.

As soon as fellow passengers on Mohanganj Express screamed "fire", Nadira Begum Popy grabbed her three-year-old son, held him to her chest, and ran in an attempt to get out of the carriage and escape the blaze. But tragedy struck as they were trapped in the billowing smoke. Both the mother and her son Yasin died in the fire. Nadira was still holding her son when the rescuers recovered four bodies from the train. Delwar Hossain Titu, Yasin's uncle, said, "Nadira couldn't get down and both were burnt to death ... She was still holding onto her child's body when rescuers found them." Four persons including the mother and son were killed after arsonists torched the Dhaka-bound train from Netrokona near the capital's Tejgaon area around 5:00am (Dec 19). Three coaches were burnt before fire engines doused the flames. Put in body bags, the four were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue, and Yasin's body was kept with his mother's. Nadira, accompanied by eight family members and relatives, was returning to Dhaka after a visit to her in-law's house in Netrokona. She went there on December 3 after the conclusion of her elder son Fahim's final exams in late November. Fahim, 9, who was sitting beside his mother, escaped narrowly as his maternal uncle Habibur Rahman was able to take him out of the train immediately after the fire broke out. "My sister was running to safety with Yasin and I was with Fahim. Although I managed to exit the train, the thick smoke made it impossible for me to locate my sister," Habibur said. The five other relatives got down from the train at Airport Raileway Station, just minutes before the tragedy occurred. But Nadira was going to get off at Kamalapur Railway Station, as decided in consultation with her husband Mizanur Rahman when the couple talked on the phone last night. It would be easier to get to their home in Paschim Tejturi Bazar in Tejgaon from Kamalapur, they thought. Visiting the DMCH morgue, this correspondent saw an inconsolable Mizanur, his gaze vacant, as he sat near the morgue where bodies of his wife and son were kept. At times, Mizanur was seen placing his hand on his head in deep frustration, agony and resentment. "I want to cry. But I can't. I can't explain what's going on inside of me. Everything is destroyed," Mizanur who is a manager of a hardware shop at Karwan Bazar, said. Mizanur went to bed on Monday night, overwhelmed with joy, anticipating the moment he would wake up to see the beloved faces of his sons and wife after nearly two weeks. "My wife's world revolved around her two sons. How has my elder son Fahim survived without his mother?" asked Mizanur with deep sorrowness.

At least four passengers, including a woman and her three-year-old son, were killed as miscreants set three coaches of Mohanganj Express on fire near Tejgaon Railway Station area in the city this morning.   Two of the deceased were identified as Nadira Akter Poppy (35) and her son Md Yasin (3). The fire incident took place around 5:04am, Media Cell Official of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters Shahjahan Sikder told. He said they recovered four charred bodies from the train and sent them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). The age of the two unidentified bodies is supposed to be between 30 and 40, he said, adding that another person with severe burn injuries was rushed to the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Three firefighting units went to the scene and doused the fire around 6:45am, Shahjahan said.   Duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence control room Lima Khanom said the train was coming to Dhaka from Netrokona. The train had a stoppage at Tejgaon station and as soon as the train started moving, the fire originated from the rear part of the coach.   Talking to journalists, Nadira's brother Habibur Rahman Habib said they were from Baruna village of Netrokona Sadar upazila. But Nadira's family live in Dhaka as her husband Mizanur runs a hardware business in Karwan Bazar, he added.   Nadira and her two sons went to their village home on December 3 and today, they were returning to Dhaka by Mohanganj Express, Habib said.   He was accompanying Nadira and her two sons Yasin, and Fahim, 8, during the journey.   Habibur said he managed to get off the train with Fahim, but Yasin and his mother Nadira were trapped inside. Later, the fire service brought out their bodies, he added.   Earlier, on December 13, one person was killed and several people were injured after a 20-foot stretch of rail track was deliberately removed by unidentified miscreants, leading to the derailment of the Mohanganj Express in Gazipur.

A man was killed and 10 others were injured as seven bogies of a train derailed at Bankharia near Gazipur Railway Station early today (December 13). The deceased was identified as Aslam Hossain, 35, a poultry businessman from Gafargaon upazila of Mymensingh. Joydevpur Railway Police Station sub-inspector Shahidullah Hero confirmed the matter. "Train communication between Joydebpur and Mymensingh remained suspended following the derailment," Shahidullah said. Police are investigating whether it is an accident or an act of sabotage, he added.  Police and local people told that the incident occurred as miscreants cut off the rail tracks. 

The nationwide strike is expected to cause thousands of cancellations over a 24-hour period. The action follows a breakdown of talks with the main national operator in a tricky dispute over pay and working hours. Train drivers at Germany's national railway Deutsche Bahn have begun a 24-hour strike, according to the GDL trade union, which represents the drivers. The nationwide passenger carrier strike started at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Thursday and was set to continue until 10 p.m. on Friday. It is expected to cause thousands of train cancellations, with delays and disruptions set to continue through the weekend. A freight strike began at 6 p.m. Thursday. The strike is affecting long-distance and regional trains, as well as commuter trains in the cities of Berlin and Hamburg.  The strike is the fourth to hit Deutsche Bahn this year and comes on the heels of a 20-hour GDL work disruption that forced the cancellation of nearly 80% of all long-distance and regional trains in Germany on November 15-16. What are the GDL's demands? The GDL is seeking a reduction in weekly work from 38 hours to 35 hours with no reduction in pay, a monthly raise of €555 ($600) for employees and a one-time payment of €3,000 to offset inflation. Deutsche Bahn has flatly rejected any reduction in hours, citing labor shortages, and has instead offered an 11% raise to GDL drivers. GDL Chairman Claus Weselsky previously announced that negotiations with Deutsche Bahn had collapsed on November 24. Subsequently, the union began a vote among its members on whether to move from temporary "warning strikes" to full-scale strikes. The result of the vote is expected shortly before Christmas. Although Friday's strike was expected to be the last of the year, Weselsky warned that "longer and more intense" strikes could be called in early 2024 if no agreement could be reached. How has the Deutsche Bahn reacted? Deutsche Bahn called the GDL strike "irresponsible and selfish." "Instead of negotiating and facing up to reality, the train drivers' union is going to strike for unfulfillable demands. This is absolutely unnecessary," said Deutsche Bahn Human Resources Director Martin Seiler. A majority of the German public was also against the strike, according to a YouGov poll published on Friday. Of the 3,700 respondents, 59% were opposed while 30% expressed sympathy. Younger respondents generally showed more understanding than older ones. The 10,000-member strong GDL is the smaller of two unions representing Deutsche Bahn employees, but it wields outsized leverage as it represents train drivers.