West Zone Railway to implement Tk 26.70b uplift projects
Saturday, 21 June 2008
RAJSHAHI, Jun 20 (BSS): The West Zone of the Bangladesh Railway will implement various development projects at an estimated cost of Tk 26.70 billion (Tk 2,670 crore) in phases.
According to the official sources, the projects had been undertaken around 15 years back but could not be implemented in a long span of period as those were not approved by the concerned authorities.
The present caretaker government has already approved three of the projects with an estimated cost of Tk 4.11 billion and the projects will be implemented during the 2008-09 financial year.
The projects included Tk 1.7399 billion for 76.16-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj, Amnura-Rohanpur and Rohanpur-Indian border sections; Tk 1.97 billion 84.33-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Lalmonirhat-Burimari section; and Tk 400.9 million for Khulna station and Benapole yard rehabilitation.
Necessary process is being advanced to procure 45,000 slippers for rehabilitation of 47-kilometre railway track on Teesta-Romnabazar section.
Three other projects like Tk 2.6826 billion 101.59-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Dinajpur-Panchagarh section; Tk 1.44 billion Syedpur railway workshop rehabilitation; and procurement of two BG and one MG cranes at a cost of Tk 1.81 billion have been under active consideration.
Apart from this, some other projects waiting for recommendation included Tk 2.2805 billion 52.20-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Syedpur-Chilahati section, Tk 326.1 million 68-BG coach rehabilitation, Taka 1.90 billion 50-BG coach procurement, Tk 1.40 billion 18-station signalling rehabilitation on Malanchi-Bhobanipur section, Tk 6.29 billion 70-kilometre new railway track establishment on Bogra-Jamtoli section and setting up of a new railway station at Elenga in Tangail at an estimated cost of Tk 150 million.
Meanwhile, the Indian side has converted the metre-gauge railway track into broad gauge up to Radhikapur station on its internal route. For this reason, the import of goods from India remained suspended on Birol-Radhikapur section in Bangladesh side at present.
To overcome the crisis, the railway authorities has been planning a Tk 3.38 billion project for converting the 40-kilometre metre-gauge track into broad gauge on Parbatipur-Birol section.
Besides, officials said, draft project proposals have also been prepared to upgrade 358 level crossing gates in preliminary stage at an estimated cost of Tk 934.7 million and post of 682 gatemen would be created against this.
In this regard, the officials said the posts of the gatemen should be approved as soon as possible in the greater interest of making the railway and road traffic system safer.
West Zone General Manager AKM Mushfiqur Rahman told the BSS that implementation of the approved projects are expected to be started by next month.
He said on successful implementation of the Rajshahi-Border section, the carrying of imported goods from India would be easier and it would contribute to increasing government revenue.
He said the Rajshahi, Khulna, Natore and Shantaher stations have been brought under the computerised ticket-selling system and effective steps have been taken to bring 29 more stations under the modern system soon. Chief Engineer Nurul Amin said eight duos of inter-city trains are running between Dhaka and the West zone directly and another pair of express trains is running in Chapainawabgonj-Joydevpur section. Additional 38 per cent of income was attained by carrying the passengers until April last than that of the corresponding period of the previous year and the revenue earning has been increasing gradually.
On successful implementation of the projects, the railway tracks and other infrastructures would be able to attract more passengers and businessmen towards railway service and that would contribute a lot to improving socio-economic condition of the country, Engineer Amin added.
According to the official sources, the projects had been undertaken around 15 years back but could not be implemented in a long span of period as those were not approved by the concerned authorities.
The present caretaker government has already approved three of the projects with an estimated cost of Tk 4.11 billion and the projects will be implemented during the 2008-09 financial year.
The projects included Tk 1.7399 billion for 76.16-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj, Amnura-Rohanpur and Rohanpur-Indian border sections; Tk 1.97 billion 84.33-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Lalmonirhat-Burimari section; and Tk 400.9 million for Khulna station and Benapole yard rehabilitation.
Necessary process is being advanced to procure 45,000 slippers for rehabilitation of 47-kilometre railway track on Teesta-Romnabazar section.
Three other projects like Tk 2.6826 billion 101.59-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Dinajpur-Panchagarh section; Tk 1.44 billion Syedpur railway workshop rehabilitation; and procurement of two BG and one MG cranes at a cost of Tk 1.81 billion have been under active consideration.
Apart from this, some other projects waiting for recommendation included Tk 2.2805 billion 52.20-kilometre railway track rehabilitation on Syedpur-Chilahati section, Tk 326.1 million 68-BG coach rehabilitation, Taka 1.90 billion 50-BG coach procurement, Tk 1.40 billion 18-station signalling rehabilitation on Malanchi-Bhobanipur section, Tk 6.29 billion 70-kilometre new railway track establishment on Bogra-Jamtoli section and setting up of a new railway station at Elenga in Tangail at an estimated cost of Tk 150 million.
Meanwhile, the Indian side has converted the metre-gauge railway track into broad gauge up to Radhikapur station on its internal route. For this reason, the import of goods from India remained suspended on Birol-Radhikapur section in Bangladesh side at present.
To overcome the crisis, the railway authorities has been planning a Tk 3.38 billion project for converting the 40-kilometre metre-gauge track into broad gauge on Parbatipur-Birol section.
Besides, officials said, draft project proposals have also been prepared to upgrade 358 level crossing gates in preliminary stage at an estimated cost of Tk 934.7 million and post of 682 gatemen would be created against this.
In this regard, the officials said the posts of the gatemen should be approved as soon as possible in the greater interest of making the railway and road traffic system safer.
West Zone General Manager AKM Mushfiqur Rahman told the BSS that implementation of the approved projects are expected to be started by next month.
He said on successful implementation of the Rajshahi-Border section, the carrying of imported goods from India would be easier and it would contribute to increasing government revenue.
He said the Rajshahi, Khulna, Natore and Shantaher stations have been brought under the computerised ticket-selling system and effective steps have been taken to bring 29 more stations under the modern system soon. Chief Engineer Nurul Amin said eight duos of inter-city trains are running between Dhaka and the West zone directly and another pair of express trains is running in Chapainawabgonj-Joydevpur section. Additional 38 per cent of income was attained by carrying the passengers until April last than that of the corresponding period of the previous year and the revenue earning has been increasing gradually.
On successful implementation of the projects, the railway tracks and other infrastructures would be able to attract more passengers and businessmen towards railway service and that would contribute a lot to improving socio-economic condition of the country, Engineer Amin added.