Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has inaugurated 64km long Tongi-Bhairab double rail track on the Dhaka-Chittagong route.
The premier opened the rail track through a videoconference from Ganobhaban around 12:30pm Thursday.
It is expected that travel time between Dhaka and Chittagong by train will reduce by at least one and half hour.
Railway Minister Mojibul Haque said joined the prime minister on the videoconference from Bhairab.
While inaugurating the rail track, Sheikh Hasina directed the railway minister to establish rail communication with Payra Port.
Mojibul Haque informed the prime minister that bus and train will start plying on the Padma Bridge at the same time.
Currently, Dhaka-Chittagong route is capable to operate 44 trains and the number number stands at 84 after the opening of the double line.
Tongi-Bhairab Bazar double line project was approved by Executive Council of the National Economic Council on September 27, 2006 with cost of Tk2,113 crore while Asian Development Bank financed Tk1,824 and rest of the cost is coming from national exchequer.
Tender of the project was floated on September 20, 2010. The deal was signed with China Railway Group Ltd for construction work on July 27 2011. The CRGL started the construction work on November 2, 2011.
