The government has initiated short, medium and long-term plans to upgrade the country's railway communication sector through ensuring better services and transport facilities, officials said.
Under the initiative, the government will require an investment to the tune of more than Tk1.0 trillion in the next sixteen years to materialise the plan.
The railway ministry has decided to implement the projects with the financial support from both domestic and international sources.
Currently, Bangladesh Railway (BR) is implementing 51 projects with funds mainly from India, JICA and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Under the short term plan, the railway will implement the 20 ongoing projects by 2015. The projects include construction of new tracks, improvement of the signalling system and procurement of locomotives and coaches.
The expansion of the domestic and international rail network will get priority in the mid-term plan spanning 2015-21 when 49 projects will be implemented.
The construction of elevated circular rail lines around Dhaka, from Tungipara to Fakirhat and conducting feasibility study on some projects have been kept under the long-term plan.
Besides, another 57 projects will be implemented in the long-term programme from 2021-30 to develop the railway as a modern organisation and extend its network beyond Bangladesh territory after covering all parts of the country.
Director General (DG) of BR, Mohammad Abu Taher, said that since independence there has been little or no investment in railway, which left the public transport sector in disarray.
"Railway service is the most popular means of transportation across the globe. But in Bangladesh the scenario is completely different because of its poor service," he added.
"We are trying to upgrade all the services of railways like that of developed countries. After implementation of the plans, railway passengers would enjoy all types of modern services in respect of catering, toilet, security, timely arrival and departure and many more," he said.
The railway DG also said implementation of the projects would increase capacity of the BR both in passenger and goods carrying manifold.
According to data available with the BR, railway carries around 62.6 millions of passengers and 2.01 million tonnes of goods by its 328 passenger and 49 goods trains across the country every year.
Mr Taher also informed that BR is going to appoint a good number of officers and staffs to ensure the planned services.
"After completion of recruitment, we will start operation of the closed railway stations gradually to give a balanced service across the country."
Presently BR has around 444 stations, of which more than 74 stations have long been remained closed for want of required human resources.
However, Transportation and Safety Expert, Prof. Md. Shamsul Hoque, expressed concern over proper planning of the projects.
"Railway has long been deprived of investment. So there are many backlogs in the sector. If the government wants to make the sector vibrant then first of all it must undertake a comprehensive and independent planning so that no problem arises during or after implementation of the projects," he added.
"At the time of planning the government has to segregate urban trains, circular trains and commuter trains and their dedicated tracks. Otherwise ultimate goal of the ambitious projects might not be achieved," Mr Hoque, also professor of the Civil Engineering Department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), said.
Meanwhile, railway minister Md Mujibul Haque said his ministry in cooperation with the communication experts, both from the country and abroad, have formulated the plan.
"After consultation with the experts we have finalised the plans. If necessary, we will take advices further from them time to time," he added.
The railway minister said, "We have a plan to modernise the BR like any developed country."
"Once all these initiatives are implemented, BR would emerge as the modern and prestigious transport sector in the country. Then it would run as a profit making entity rather than incurring losses year after year," the minister said.
The BR counted losses to the tune of Tk36 billion in the last five calendar years (from 2009 to 2013).
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