Bangladesh Railway (BR) has started carrying out a fresh feasibility study on the development of a dual-gauge double line rail track on the Joydebpur-Ishwardi section for the third time.
The state-owned rail operator has taken the initiative as Japan has shown interest to fund the important corridor development project after China pulled out from it.
Official sources said the first study was conducted in 2015 which was later updated in 2019 after listing the US$1.23 billion project as one of the four projects under the memorandum of understanding signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Bangladesh in October 2016.
They said the fresh feasibility study will mainly assess the cost of the project and the scope of the work as BR has already started implementing other projects within the Joydebpur-Ishwardi section.
During the first two studies, they said, the cost of the 174-kilometre dual gauge double line project escalated from Tk 80 billion to Tk 140 billion.
Project office sources said three Japanese companies--Oriental Consultant Global Company Limited, Chadai Company Limited and Japan International Consultants for Transportation Company--have already initiated the fresh feasibility study with funding by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
They said costs, construction methods, materials and equipment, and technologies to be used would be determined under the study. Besides, it will consider the issues of social and environmental impacts as per the JICA guidelines. The study time has been planned until October 2023.
The BR took the project to construct the dual gauge double line to improve train services in northern and western parts of the country as the present single line track on the eastern side of Jamuna Bridge from Joydebpur cannot cope with the increasing demand for operating 74 trains per day from present 28.
smunima@yahoo.com