Inauguration programme of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail line begins
The inauguration programme of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail line has started with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joining it at the Cox's Bazar iconic railway station.
The prime minister reached the venue at 11:35am and the programme started at 11:40am.
The government in 2010 had taken up the project to lay metre-gauge track from Dohazari of Chattogram to Ghundum of Bandarban spending Tk 1,852.35 crore.
But it later changed its plan and decided to build the dual-gauge line to Cox's Bazar town. As a result, the cost shot up to Tk 18,034.47 crore.
The government backed out on constructing the rail line to Ghundum border because Myanmar did not take any step to build a rail line to its border, source said.
The 102km Dohazari-Cox's Bazar rail line is part of the Trans-Asian Railway Network. There are nine new stations on the route.
Although the project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, was supposed to be completed within June 2013, laying of tracks began in March 2018.
The prime minister will inaugurate the line at a programme at the oyster-shaped railway station near Cox's Bazar town at 11:00am.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon yesterday said train services on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route would begin on December 1 with an inter-city train.
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