The Dohazari-Ghumdhum rail link via Cox's Bazar is one of the top priority infrastructure projects of the government which is likely to pave the way for direct rail services from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar this year.
However, due to some challenges, even if the service is launched, passengers will have to wait a long time to experience the full advantages of the project.
Construction of a new bridge over the Karnaphuli River, renovation of the railway track from Chittagong's Sholoshohor to Dohazari, and the construction of a bypass railway from Faujdarhat to Sholoshohor are among the major obstacles of the project.
Since the railway authorities could not come up with effective solutions to the three key challenges, stakeholders think that the service will be hampered significantly.
The project includes the construction of 39 bridges and 242 culverts. For the movement of wild elephants, underpasses and overpasses are being built.
According to Bangladesh Railway officials, constructing a new bridge across the Karnaphuli River will take at least 7-8 years. This means, even after the government completes this rail link project, trains will have to use the centennial bridge with great risk.
However, with the assistance of Buet, the railway authorities have made efforts to renovate the bridge so that it can accommodate large locomotives and coaches. The renovation work will cost around Tk60 crore.
Despite that, Railway Secretary Humayun Kabir recently announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the new railway route when the construction is completed by September. Meanwhile, the renovation of the Kalurghat Bridge may take six months, starting in June.
On May 6, the railway secretary in Chittagong said the old railway bridge would be renovated for high-speed trains to Cox's Bazar. A new bridge will also be built there. The design has already been approved by the prime minister.
“Construction work on the new rail bridge will begin soon after all preparations are done. The bridge is expected to be completed by 2028,” Railway Secretary Md Humayun Kabir said recently.
The railway authorities are considering several other plans for the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar train line since it will boost tourism and trade significantly. However, it may take at least ten years to materialize these ideas.
Indecision over bridge construction
The Kalurghat Bridge is one of the barriers to rail connectivity between Dhaka and Cox's Bazar. Heavy locomotive and coach trains will find it difficult to pass the almost century-old bridge constructed during British rule across the Karnaphuli River.
In 2015, the railway postponed the construction of a new bridge across the Karnaphuli River to replace the existing one after taking the initiative to build the Dohazari-Ghumdhum rail tracks. As a result, the construction of a new bridge could not begin until now.
A few years ago, an initiative was taken to construct a bridge with South Korea's financial assistance, but it was delayed due to objections from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authorities (BIWTA) regarding the height of the bridge, as well as local residents' demand for the construction of a railway-cum-road bridge.
The railway authorities have conducted a new feasibility study and are awaiting the approval of the donor organization.
The existing 700-yard-long Kalurghat Railway Bridge was built in 1930. Despite its dilapidated condition, thousands of vehicles ply on one lane of the bridge, and a few trains use the rail tracks of the bridge every day.
The bridge is a crucial transport route for many residents of the nearby Boalkhali Upazila. Every day, at least 50,000 people cross the bridge.
Earlier, the railway authorities closed the bridge twice between 2004 and 2012 due to safety concerns.
Poor state of rail tracks
Meanwhile, the existing railway track from Chittagong to Dohazari is another major barrier to opening train movement to Cox's Bazar. The single-line metre gauge line was renovated in 2018. Despite this, trains on this line have to operate at an average speed of 20-25 kilometres per hour.
According to a recent Working Time Table (No 52), the distance between Chittagong and Dohazari is 47.04 kilometres. The set speed for the section from Chittagong rail station to Sholshahar is 50 kilometres per hour. But trains currently operate at a speed of 25-30 kmph.
The train speed from Sholashahar railway station to Dohazari, on the other hand, is set at 30 kmph. However, trains operate along this line at a speed of barely 20 kmph.
There has been no progress in addressing this issue. The railway's Engineering Department has just begun preparations to restore the 47-kilometre railway line with its own funds prior to the beginning of train services up to Cox's Bazar.
Bypass
Another problem with direct train services from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar is the Chittagong railway station.
Due to the nature of the existing railway tracks, project officials intend to construct a bypass route from Faujdarhat to allow direct train services from Dhaka. This will add at least 1.5 hours to the train journey from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar.
However, no field-level effort on this strategy is visible as of yet.
Renovation of Kalurghat Bridge
Railway Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Tuesday said that the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar train will start operations by September this year. "So far 84% of the rail project has been completed. The rest of the work will be completed soon," he told reporters during a visit to the iconic station building in Cox's Bazar.
He said: "Among the ten priority projects of the government, two are currently underway in the railway sector. The first one is the Padma Bridge rail link project and the second is the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar new rail line construction project."
The government will soon start a ferry service to assist with the reconstruction of the Kalurghat Bridge, which may begin next month. Work on the major part of the renovation will be finished in three months.
For this reason, train services from Chittagong to Dohazari will remain suspended for three months.
Train speeds will increase to 50 to 60 kmph after the renovation.
The bridge will be made operational based on the recommendations of a consulting team from Buet. A tender notice for the hiring of contractors has already been issued. The renovation work is expected to begin on June 20, and the primary renovation will be finished in September, according to officials.