The government has taken a huge development program in the new fiscal year, 2020-21, to upgrade Bangladesh’s railway communication considering the public-friendly role of railways as a cheap and safe mode of communication across the country.
The budget for development of the railways is Tk12,491 crore in FY2020-21, which was Tk10,249 crore in the last year's revised budget.
According to a budget document, construction of 900 kms dual gauge double track and 1,581 kms new rail track will be completed within this fiscal year.
Refurbishment of 1,527 kms rail track and 100 passenger coaches, procurement of 31 locomotives, and improvement of the signalling system at 222 stations will be done in the running fiscal year, said the document.
Besides, it added, steps will be taken to begin implementation of the construction of the High-Speed Dhaka-Chittagong double track rail line project via Comilla/Laksam, the Bhanga Junction (Faridpur)-Payra rail line project via Barisal, the Navaron-Satkhira-Munshiganj broad gauge rail line project, and the Dhaka city circular rail line project.
According to a senior Railways Ministry official, the government has taken a number of measures for the overall development of this sector, and implementation of the 30-year “Railways Masterplan (2016-2045)” at a cost of Tk553,662 crore has already begun.
"Works, such as expansion of railways, construction of new rail lines and refurbishment of old ones, conversion of railways into dual gauges, opening of closed rail stations together with the new ones, introducing new trains and improving the services of other trains, procurement of train coaches, etc. have been continuing," said the official.
As per the budget document, construction of 25 kms of new rail lines, refurbishment of 25 kms of old rail lines, construction of 30 new rail bridges, reconstruction of 14 old rail bridges, procurement of 136 new passengers carriages, introduction of six new trains (including Benapole Express, Kurigram Express and Jamalpur Express), and expansion of four existing train services (including Rajbari Express and Dhalarchar Express) have been completed in the last fiscal year that ended on June 30.
"The implementation of the Dhaka to Padma Bridge Railway Link Project is progressing fast," it read.
Updates and future projects
Meanwhile, to establish an integrated and uninterrupted communication network in the country, many large projects including the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kutubkhali on the Dhaka-Chittagon Highway, are being implemented.
According to the document, construction of the Padma Bridge with the country’s own financing is progressing fast. The work on Mawa and Janjira connecting roads and Service Area 2 has already been completed.
"Overall physical progress of the Padma Bridge project up to February 2020 is 78%; 4.5 kilometre of the bridge has so far become visible,” it said.
It also mentioned that 51% of construction work of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel has already been completed.
Besides, construction work of the 24 kilometre-long Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway is expected to begin soon.
"There is a plan to carry out a Feasibility Study to construct a tunnel under the Jamuna River connecting Gaibandha and Jamalpur districts," the document said.
Feasibility Studies were carried out to construct five large bridges in the southern part of the country over the Payra River in Patuakhali-Amtali-Barguna road, the Meghna River in Bhulta-Araihazar-Nabinagar road, the Tetulia and Kalabadar rivers to connect the Barisal district with the Bhola, and the Bishkhali River in Barguna-Patharghata road, and efforts are being made to get funding for their construction.
Some Tk24,825 crore has been allocated for the development of road transport and highways division for FY2020-21, while it was Tk23,960 crore in last year’s revised budget.