Bangladesh is planning a major upgrade to its railway system. A new 81-kilometer elevated railway line is set to be built. This project will connect Shyampur in Dhaka to Cumilla. It aims to make train travel much faster between Dhaka and Chattogram.
The Ministry of Railways is leading this initiative. The new line will reduce the rail distance by 80 kilometers. It will also cut travel time by one and a half to two hours. Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman shared these details on Tuesday. He spoke at a government press briefing at the Secretariat.
The proposed railway line will run entirely above the ground. This design helps save a lot of land. Mr. Rahman said that building the fully elevated line will save around 322 acres of land. The first estimated cost for this elevated project is Tk 839.01 billion.
If the railway used both raised ground and elevated parts, the cost would be about Tk 735.77 billion. Opting for a fully elevated line adds approximately Tk 10.32 billion to the total cost. Top government officials will make the final decision on the fully elevated structure. The Ministry of Railways first presented this elevated proposal on October 5.
Construction of the line is expected to take four years. This timeline will begin once all the land for the project is acquired. Officials explained the technical details of the project. The new line will feature a double track and broad-gauge system.
It is designed to carry heavy loads, up to 25 tonnes per axle. The railway can handle speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour. Trains will operate at a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour. The line will also be ready for future electric train operations.
