Indonesia’s INKA to Meet High Demand for Trains in Bangladesh
Train coaches manufactured by PT INKA for Bangladesh, in its factory in Madiun, East Java. The coaches are expected to be delivered to Bangladesh in December 2018. ANTARA PHOTO/Zabur Karuru/pras.
Dhaka, MINA — State-owned train manufacturer PT Industri Kereta Api (INKA) has continued to maintain a potential market in Bangladesh and meet the high demand for trains in the country, Antara News reported, quoting an aftersales staff of PT INKA Triono.
“Actually, PT INKA has been active (in expanding its market), including to the Philippines. However, here in Bangladesh, the demand is so high,” Triono noted at the Kamlapur railway station in Dhaka on late Tuesday.
According to Triono, Bangladesh still requires additional trains to serve its huge population.
“INKA first made a special train for Bangladesh in 2005. It was then continued in 2016, when we had the project to provide 150 trains, and now, the trains have already been operated in Dhaka,” he remarked.
PT INKA has won a tender to supply 250 passenger trains to Bangladesh, and the initial delivery of the trains would be done in January 2019.
“INKA has won the tender to procure 250 trains, and hopefully, we would do the initial delivery to Bangladesh in January 2019,” Triono elaborated.
The company is also participating in the tender to provide baggage and cargo cars, for which the process of document and price assessment is currently underway.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Ambassador to Bangladesh Rina P. Soemarno remarked that Bangladesh is keen on purchasing double-decker trains from the company to balance the capacity of its public transportation with its population.
The country is also eyeing to procure the company`s ambulance coach as a precautionary measure to cater to the demand of special transportation to help victims of natural disasters.
“Bangladesh is also interested in luxury coaches, and PT INKA must win the tender to procure the luxury coaches,” she added. (T/RS1/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
