Feasibility study report to be submitted next month

The feasibility study report on the proposed US$ 3.30 billion double-track high speed bullet train service between Dhaka and Chittagong would be submitted to the Ministry of Railways by next month, sources said.
Aiming to reduce travelling time and distance, the government has taken the Dhaka-Chittagong Express Railway Project for constructing a new route instead of the existing one.
After the signing of a Bangladesh-China government to government memorandum of understanding (MoU) in August, a pre-feasibility study report was submitted to the railway ministry and following assessment of its contents, approval for feasibility study was given last week to a Chinese state-owned company -- China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Company Limited (CREEC).
The proposed route would shorten distance by 90 kilometres (km) from the existing 320 km and travelling time by about three hours from 7-10 hours at present.
With a 160km per hour speed the bullet train would also facilitate freight transports to the sea port and would have electrification reserve option besides diesel traction.
The 231.90km-long highway project named Dhaka-Chittagong Express Railway Project would be funded by the Chinese government.
The new route has been designed to run Dhaka via Narayanganj-Daudkandi-Mohanpur-Moinamoti and Laksam to Chittagong instead of the existing Tongi-Bhairab-Brahmanbaria-Akhaura and Comilla to Chittagong.
Project director of the under-construction Tongi-Bhairab double-track railway Sagar Krishna said the proposed high speed railway would help the economy to grow thanks to the shortened travel time and distance and trains would be available after every 20 minutes.
He said, "We do not have high speed railway and if the project succeeds, it would add new dimension to Bangladesh's railway history."
Mr Krishna said the vehicular movement on the existing highway is extremely difficult and frequent traffic jams give rise to slow operation of vehicles.  
The official said the feasibility study report is likely to be submitted by December after assessing its viability and cost effectiveness.
Another BR source said the proposed high speed rail track would fly over 18.77km way, have 10 passenger stations, two new stations for freight handling and there would be no crossing.
Managing Director of Toma Construction and Company Limited, Ataur Rahman Bhuiya, who is working as a CREEC partner in running the double-track railway project, said due to current single line rail tract the train speed is being hampered as they have to wait for the passage of other trains.
He said, "From my experience of working in train line construction, I think Bangladesh needs double-track rail line across the country for boosting mobility and helping the economy to grow."

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