Md. Lavlu Sheikh, Lalmonirhat.

A long time has passed since the inauguration. But the purpose for which the country's first 'automatic turntable' was built. It collapsed the day after the inauguration. The crore-taka project, which has become useless due to mechanical faults, is now a witness to the extreme indifference of the railways.

Due to lack of maintenance, rainwater has accumulated inside the turntable, which has turned into a mini pond for mosquitoes and frogs. Its automatic motor has broken down. And due to this immobile condition, the train engine and coaches have to be taken from Lalmonirhat to Dhaka every 2 to 3 months to be rotated. In which a huge amount of time and money is being wasted.

Railway sources said that the turntable was built just 500 meters away from Lalmonirhat Railway Station. It was a groundbreaking initiative after the old turntable in Lalmonirhat, built during the British era, broke down about 30 years ago. After a trial run, it was officially inaugurated on May 26, 2025. But the rules are wrong! A major flaw was discovered in its automation system the very next day of the inauguration. Since then, it has not been operational.

It has been seen on the ground that this modern technology is now completely abandoned. Rainwater has accumulated in the huge hole around the turntable. Mosquitoes and frogs have freely established their habitat there. The railway authorities seem to be paying no attention to this. However, the authorities initially said that even if there is no engine, at least the bogies or coaches can be rotated here. But currently, that is not possible either.

According to railway engineers, if a train engine or coach runs in the same direction for a long time, excess pressure is placed on one side of the wheel and the wheel wears out quickly. If the engine and coach are rotated at regular intervals, the pressure is equalized on the wheel. As a result, the life of the components increases.

Also, most locomotives have the driver's cabin (cab side) more efficient on one side. If the engine is turned on the turntable and the driver's cabin is placed forward, the driver can easily see the track and signals, which greatly reduces the risk of accidents.

Assistant Locomotive Tajul Islam Raju said, "If the turntable was operational, we wouldn't have to bother going to Kamalapur to rotate the engine and coaches. If the engine's cab side is always in front, we can see the railway line and signals better. Which is essential for safe train operation."

The shameful thing is that Tasruzzaman Babu, a former Divisional Mechanical Engineer (DME Carriage and Wagon) of the Lalmonirhat Division of the Western Railway, who built that automatic turntable, received several international awards, including the 'Best Innovator' award from the Ministry of Railways in 2024. But in reality, his invention fell flat the day after its inauguration.

Why did that modern technology remain useless? When asked, Dhiman Bhowmik, the current Divisional Mechanical Engineer (Loco) of Lalmonirhat Railway, said, "The very next day after the inauguration, a fault occurred in the automation system of the turntable. The main problem is that it cannot carry the weight of the heavy engine. An engine usually weighs 70 to 90 tons and the coach weighs 20 to 30 tons. Since the current turntable cannot carry that full load, it has been closed for safety reasons. However, a proposal has been sent to the higher authorities to strengthen it further.

Currently, the northern railway division does not have its own alternative system for rotating engines and coaches. As a result, the engines are forced to rotate on the turntable at Dhaka's Kamalapur railway station every 2/3 months and then return to Lalmonirhat. This is wasting additional fuel, time and huge money of the railway.
Lalmonirhat Railway Divisional Manager (DRM) Mohammad Taslim Ahmed Khan admitted the technical complications and said, "The railway is spending extra money and time to turn the engine and coach. Therefore, it is important to quickly start the Lalmonirhat turntable. We have informed the higher authorities about the matter in writing."

Local stakeholders and general railway employees hope that this moribund project will be quickly brought to life with sustainable reforms to make rail connectivity in the northern region safe and affordable.