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PM inaugurates Akhaura-Laksam track today

Dhk-Ctg rail corridor


MUNIMA SULTANA | July 20, 2023 00:00:00


The Dhaka-Chattogram rail corridor is set to get the second line more than 109 years after the first track was built there.

Prime Minister will inaugurate the last section dual-gauge track from Akhaura to Laksam today (Thursday).

With this, all trains between the two important cities can be operated unhindered on both sides.

The inaugural ceremony of train operation on the new 72-kilometre dual-gauge double line in the Akhaura-Laksam section will be held at Laksam railway station.

The PM will join the ceremony virtually at 11:00 am from her official Gonobhaban residence.

Railways minister Nurul Islam Sujon will chair the programme.

According to the Bangladesh Railway (BR), 321-km metre-gauge track on Dhaka-Chattogram corridor was built between 1895 and 1914 in phases.

Of the entire corridor, 120-km double line in metre-gauge track on Akhaura-Tongi-Dhaka section and 129 on Chattogram-Laksam part have already been built.

However, following the premier's directive on developing gauge unification on 24 October 2014, the BR undertook the project to build 95-km dual-gauge double line on the missing part.

A 23-km Cumilla-Laksam section was opened on 25 September 2021.

With this, the total 95-km track of the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor has been dual gauge double line and the rest 226 km are metre-gauge track.

The sectional capacity of the country's economic lifeline has been increased in both passenger and cargo train movement with the opening of Akhaura-Laksam line.

However, sources said the BR is yet to earn its capacity to run trains with its highest speed limit.

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