B Mirror Report : Woojin Industrial System has proposed a partnership with Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) to establish an assembly plant for metro-rail coaches in Bangladesh. The partnership is expected to support import substitution and reduce project costs. The delegation visited Bangladesh on January 1 and is expected to require at least 100 metro-rail cars in the near future.

Sources said the company initially expressed interest in partial assembly of metro cars in the first phase, which would require relatively low investment and could be carried out at the Diabari depot. The delegation included Woojin’s President and Managing Director, who arrived in the country to explore investment opportunities as DMTCL seeks cost reductions in its ongoing and upcoming MRT projects.

During the visit, the delegation met with high-ranking officials, including the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and the Finance Secretary, alongside site visits.

Woojin has over five decades of experience in the railway sector and is a major global supplier of rolling stock. The company began its operations in the 1970s by supplying railway components and later expanded into full railway systems in the 1990s. Since the early 2000s, Woojin has been involved in Light Rapid Transit (LRT) vehicles and has developed expertise in train upgrading, operation, and maintenance services. It currently manufactures MRT cars, electric buses, and trains.

According to documents shared by the delegation, Woojin has supplied 440 cars for Busan Lines 1 and 2, 102 cars for Busan Line 4, 36 cars for Seoul’s Sillim Line, 18 cars for Busan Yangsan Line, and 16 cars for Jakarta LRT. Overall, the company has supplied around 2,420 cars for MRT, LRT, DEMU, and electric bus services both in Korea and overseas.

DMTCL Managing Director Faruque Ahmed said demand for at least 100 metro cars is expected for existing MRT lines in Dhaka, noting that the requirement could rise to 1,000 cars as more mass-transit systems are planned by the government.

Under the initial proposal, Woojin plans to begin with partial assembly in the shortest possible time, before gradually moving toward full-scale assembly, technology transfer, and capacity building of local professionals. The proposed plant would have a production capacity of 150 to 200 cars per year.

Dhaka is expected to have six MRT lines, although some have faced delays due to procedural complications. Meanwhile, feasibility studies for an MRT system in Chattogram are underway, and the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) is exploring options for low-cost LRT systems in Dhaka and surrounding cities.