Rehabilitation of three rly branch lines in the offing

FE Team | Published: September 15, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

RAJSHAHI, Sept 14 (BSS): Rehabilitation of three important railway branch-lines under the West Zone of Bangladesh Railway will start as soon as possible to make the railway sector profitable through bringing dynamism in its traffic system.
According to concerned railway officials, the present caretaker government has allocated Tk 1.56 billion (155.47 crore) last month for railway track replacement of the 90-kilometre Rajshahi-Rohanpur line that links India.
"The line has become so risky that most of the trains laden with imported goods derail frequently disrupting railway communications repeatedly', they added.
Rehabilitation work in the potential line has never been done since they were built during the British rule except some emergency repairing and maintenance works.
They said the government is being deprived of around Tk 1.0 billion as revenue earning annually due to its deplorable condition.
Derailment incidents have been happening since the 80s, as most of the railway slippers were worn-out, tracks lost capacity and stones were decayed.
Carrying of imported goods from India to different parts of the country through the route is very easy and cost-effective. Railway earns Tk 250 million annually by carrying imported goods.
Despite its vulnerable condition, the imported goods along with local passengers are being transported using this rail route as most of the importers consider it easy and profitable, the officials said.
Officials said they expect that an additional Tk 500 million can be earned as revenue yearly after successful completion of the rehabilitation project by June 2009. Under the same project, another Tk 1.5 billion was also approved for replacement of the 95-kilometre Lalmonirhat-Burimari section of the route, the condition of which has also become deplorable.
Apart from this, the government has allocated over Tk 490 million for Khulna railway station remodelling and development of Benapole railway line.