Railway authorities have yet to start feasibility study to ascertain viability of establishing electric or diesel tracks for introducing high-speed train service between the capital and major cities. Two years have elapsed since the Prime Minister gave the directive in this regard.
Sources said the study, at the first instance, was to determine what kind of tracks and their cost would be feasible for running speedy train between three important cities-Dhaka, Chittagong and Narayanganj. A Chinese firm has already given a US$ 8.0 billion proposal to turn the important rail corridor high-speed.
They said the Chinese company submitted a report after conducting a pre-feasibility study on the corridor under a memorandum of understanding signed with Bangladesh Railway in January 2015, estimating the cost of establishing the track at $8.0 billion.
Efforts are on to conduct BR`s own study to assess authenticity of the estimated cost quoted by the Chinese company and also to find whether establishing electric track would be more feasible than fuel-run track.
They said the project proposal is now under scrutiny of the Planning Commission.
Sources said the BR sent the technical proposal to the Planning Commission in January this year but recast it to accommodate the recommendations of project- evaluation committee in April. The PEC meet was held on January 31.
"But, for reasons not known, the Planning Commission has yet to approve the proposal on study worth Tk 80.12 million," said one official, preferring not to be named
Establishment of electric traction from Narayanganj to Chittagong through Dhaka was taken up after the cabinet in principle approved the plan on July 1, 2014 to upgrade the railway corridor and increase its operational efficiency.
However, the Prime Minister in a meeting with secretaries of Road Transport and Bridges and Railways on March 13 also gave directive for starting work for operating electric train from Narayanganj to Gazipur in the first phase to introduce the high-speed train between the cities.
Planning Commission sources said the study proposal from the BR on electric tracks was still under evaluation to find authenticity of the project and its funding.
But the BR officials said they met the PEC requirements and sent the project proposal within three months by incorporating the needs considering the importance of the project.
The BR has taken the project of feasibility study for introducing electric traction including overhead catenary and substation along Narayanganj-Dhaka-Chittagong section at a cost of Tk 80.12 billion to reduce travel time, operational cost and increase passenger and freight capacity of the railway as the three cities are the country`s business and trade hubs.
Narayanganj is a major sub-centre of the country while Chittagong deals with 90 per cent of the import and export activities. It is said that 30 per cent of the country`s population live in these three cities.
Officials said as the BR engineers and experts have little expertise on electric train service, initiative was taken to conduct the study and find the feasibility.
They said initial estimation shows that for operating electric train, 60-megawatt electricity would be required but it would reduce the fuel cost significantly increasing passenger and freight capacity.
The study would also help find viability of introducing diesel tracks either underground or elevated through the corridor to make sure the train movement is uninterrupted and speedy.
A BR official said, "Worldwide use of electric trains is increasing for the reduction in operational cost as costs of electric locomotive and its maintenance are reduced one-third. Fuel cost is to be reduced two-thirds."
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