The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has taken up a project styled "Railway Modernisation Project" at a cost of $249 million dollar to modernise the railway within 2015. The BR has already completed the feasibility study of the project, said the official sources.

The World Bank financed project is learnt to be launched from next year.

Of the total outlay of the project, the World Bank will provide $200 million dollar and Bangladesh government $49.50 million dollar.

Under the project, the Government will start rehabilitation of 71 kilometres long Akhaura-Lakhsam section railway route including improvement of signalling at a cost of $60 million.

The authority will also set up double tracking of Akhaura-Lakhsam section at $100 million, said sources.

The BR will purchase about 15 meter gauge diesel electric locomotives at cost of $45 million and about 50 meters gauge coaches at $25 million.

Besides the BR will also conduct a Dhaka-Lakhsam Chord Line detailed engineering and environmental and social impact management study in coordination with Asian Development Bank at a cost of $3.50 million and environmental audit, design supervision consultancy, various studies and implementation support at $16 million.

According to Railway sources, the Government has already started to reform the railway sector to fulfill the condition of the World Bank to get a loan of US$200 million under Railway Modernisation Project of BR.

After getting the proposal from Bangladesh, the World Bank conditioned that the government would have to complete reform of the Railway sector.

"We shall start our detail study plan after disbursement of loan next year," said a high official of the railway department.

While talking with the New Nation, Belayet Hossain, Director General of the Bangladesh Railway said, "We shall hopefully start the project within 2009."

He said that the travel by train between Dhaka and Chittagong take five and half hours from Kamalapur Railway Station to Chittagong Railway Station.

"The Journey time by train can be cut by two hours after establishing chord line between Akhaura-Laksam section," he said, adding, " We can reduce locomotives crisis by implementing the project.