Dhaka-Chattogram Route: High-speed rail in the offing

The government is set to build a high-speed rail link between Dhaka and Chattogram which will reduce journey time to within 57 minutes, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told parliament yesterday.

“Work is going on at present to prepare a detailed design and feasibility study of the project,” the minister said in reply to lawmakers' queries.

 “The government upgraded the Bangladesh Railway Master Plan on January 29, 2018, under a technical assistance project for Bangladesh Railway SASEC Rail Connectivity Investment Activities,” he said.

In reply to another query, the minister said the government had a plan to implement 230 projects at a cost of Taka 5,53,662 crore by 2045.

Sujan said as per the Bangladesh Railway Master Plan, the government would implement all the projects in six phases starting from July 2016 to June 2045.

Among other things under the master plan, the government will construct a Dhaka-Chattagram via Cumilla/Laksam high-speed railway line, a subway on Dhaka-Tongi section and railway line from Dhaka to Paturia via Manikganj.

The minister also said the government would build the Sylhet Railway Station as a modern and international standard one.

Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday told parliament that a total of Tk 4,988.37 crore had been realised as toll from the Bangabandhu Bridge in the last twenty years till 2018.

On the other hand, the construction cost of the bridge was Tk 3,745.60 crore.

The minister, however, told the Jatiya Sangsad that the amount which was being realised as toll from the bridge was being used for repayment of the loan provided by development partners and to meet other costs, including maintenance cost of the bridge.

The loan provided for construction of the bridge would be fully returned by 2034, the minister added.