Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar rail line to turn into broad gauge

CHATTOGRAM Sep 28: The government has revived the railway project of Broad gauge rail line directly from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar.  Bangladesh Railway has taken a project to convert 320 km long Dhaka-Chattogram Rail line into Broad gauge that will extend to Cox’s bazar. 

Railway sources said, broad gauge rail line is existing in Kamalapur-Tongi, Akhaura-Laksham Route and the newly constructed Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar route.

The conversion will increase the speed of trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram route which will reduce the distance by about an hour, Railway sources said.

Currently, Bangladesh Railway has taken projects to convert metrer gauge into Broad gauge in Tongi-Akhaura Route, Laksham-Chattogram route and Chattogram-Dohazari route.

People concerned said the broad gauge line in the entire eastern region up to Cox’s Bazar will remove the obstacles of constructing the Trans-Asia Railway Connectivity which will connect Bangladesh with China, Pakistan, India and Myanmar.

Besides, Bangladesh Railways is going to convert the entire Dhaka-Chattogram railway line from metre gauge to broad gauge as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given primary assurance to finance the project.

The conversion of the railway line would create direct rail links between Cox’s Bazar and Rajshahi, and Cox’s Bazar-Khulna.  Currently, railway lines in the eastern region are in metre gauge, while the broad gauge tracks are mostly in the railway’s western region.

The upgradation of the railway line will allow plying of high-speed trains on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route, which will reduce the travel time by about an hour.

Meanwhile, the donor agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to finance the project of 45 km long Ctg-Dohazari Dual gauge rail line, Railway sources said.

The Bangladesh railway authorities have planned to construct a new broad gauge line through Pahartali to Dohazari to connect Dhaka-Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar rail line only in broad gauge.  Currently, the construction of a new rail line in broad gauge from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar with financial assistance from ADB has already been completed and commercial train service in meter gauge from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar began.

The government also taken a project titled conversion of existing Chattogram-Dohazari metre gauge track into dual gauge track and connecting Dohazari with Dhaka in Chattogram has also been proposed with an estimated cost of Tk10,797.09 crore. Bangladesh Railway will implement the transformation of Chattogram-Dohazari meter gauge rail line will turn into dual gauge by June 2028 with Taka 7,085.64 crore loan from the ADB and EIB.  The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) finally approved the Development Project Proposal (DPP) of the 45 km long Dual gauge double rail line project from Pahartali to Dohazari on October 31 in 2023 last at a cost of Taka 10,797.09 crore.  The construction of 72 km long broad gauge from Akhaura to Laksham has already been completed.