BR plans to accommodate pending works in next 5YP

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has planned to accommodate thepending works of last five years in its upcoming five-year plan (5YP), sources said.
It finalised 67 projects involving Tk 1.19 trillion to implement in the next five years.
Officials said the state-owned train operator revised its plan commensurate with the government's different goals, including 8th Five Year Plan, master plan and sustainable development goals (SGDs).
As the first phase of the 30-year master plan is almost at the end of closure, they saidthe revision would help the BR to attain the next phase target in a better way.
"We have several targets to meet in the next five years. For example, SDGs, Delta Plan, BR's master plan for improving its different services," said an official involved in the planning.
So, the fresh target has been taken by reviewing each of the policy level planning, he added.
Sources said the BR has failed to achieve most of the targets fixed in the first phase of its master plan as well as the 7th 5YP that ended in June last.
The second phase of the master plan beginning from 2021 has targeted to construct 666-km new rail line, 41 km double line, convert 701. 8 km metre gauge line to broad gauge, two ICDs (inland container depots) and a locomotive workshop.
However, officials said they have revised the target of the second phase including the pending works of the first phase and 7th 5YP.
According to the revision, 798.09 km new rail line and 977.7 km double track parallel to the existing line have been planned to construct along with the rehabilitation of 846.51 km existing rail line, new nine railway bridges, purchase of 160 locomotives, 1,704 passenger coaches, 2,000 wagons and 125 luggage vans.
The BR had a target to complete development work of 856.25 km new track, 1,110 km dual gauge double track and, rehabilitate and upgrade 725 km existing line during the 7th 5YP.
But after the end of the tenure in June last, Itcompleted only 237.28 km new rail line and 193.44 km rehabilitation work of existing lines.
The first master plan was formulated with 20-year plan from 2010 to 2030. The revised master plan was approved on January 30, 2018 with the target to implement 230 projects involving Tk 5.53 trillion by 2045.
The revised master plan has been divided into six phases each with five years tenure.
According to BR, development of approximately 1,911.51-kilometre new rail track, 1,630.52 km gauge conversion, 824.76 km double line have been planned after the completion of the tenure of the master plan.
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