Trains take risk as upgrading rail routes limps along

Bangladesh Railway's projects to upgrade railway tracks on different routes to two-way lines are moving slower than expected, officials said, while the popular mode of transportation still largely remains outmoded.
The Railway has three ongoing and three proposed projects to double about 525 kilometres of existing tracks out of its total network stretching along some 3,979 kms across the country.
If railroads on different routes, including the Dhaka-Chittagong busiest one, are upgraded to two-way ones, volumes of traffic on the sections and income would also be double, the officials said.
The construction of the much-hyped 64-km Tongi-Bhairab Bazar double line started way back in November 2011, after its approval on June 21, 2011.
According to the BR's work papers, the project had made only around 68 percent physical progress till March this year though it is supposed to be completed by December 31.
Work on the 71km double lines between Laksham and Chinkiastana started on 1st January 2007 and is supposed to be implemented by June 2015. The project was approved on October 4, 2011.
According to the BR officials, physical progress of the project has also been done by nearly 70 per cent so far.
Expression of interest (EoI) was sought on February 20 for construction of the 46km third and fourth dual-gauge lines in Dhaka-Tongi section and 22km dual-gauge double lines in Dhaka-Joydevpur section, project director AKM Mahbubul Alam said.
The Railway is expected to start construction of the double lines in next couple of months, he added.
A senior railway official said that the project's implementation period was between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2015.
"It will not be possible to set up double lines in the two sections within the period. Initiative has been taken to extend the implementation period by a year," he added.
Director-General of BR Mohammad Tafazzal Hossain holds the hope for timely completion of the projects. He says: "The ongoing double-line projects would be completed in time."
Besides, he said, feasibility study on another project to construct a 71km two-way railroad in Akhaura-Laksham section has been completed in the meantime.
"We also have a plan to turn Dhaka-Narayanganj and Khulna-Iswardi sections into double lines," said the DG.
A senior planning department officer said that documents had been submitted to the Planning Commission for final approval to the Dhaka-Narayanganj double-line project.
In reply to a question, the director-general said that it would take a long time to implement the double-line project on Khulna-Iswardi route.
According to the officials, the railroad between Dhaka and Narayanganj spans about 16 kms and a 330km railway links Khulna and Iswardi.
Dhaka-Chittagong railroad, stretching about 118 kms, and the 95km Darshona-Abdulpur line have already been upgraded to double lines.
However, an official at BR, preferring anonymity, said shortage of funds, political turmoil and some other factors like shortage of resources delayed the projects.
"Being a poor country, we have to face many obstacles in completion of projects; monetary issue is the vital issue of them. Besides, political turmoil and unavailability of natural resources like soil for filling also partially responsible for the slow pace," he added.