[🇧🇩] Bangladesh Railway

[Saif]

Train ops on Dhaka-Jashore route via Padma likely from Dec 1

The 169-km line from Dhaka to Jashore will cut short the travel time by a half

www.thedailystar.net

Train ops on Dhaka-Jashore route via Padma likely from Dec 1
The 169-km line from Dhaka to Jashore will cut short the travel time by a half

Bangladesh Railway (BR) is likely to launch the commercial operation of trains on Dhaka-Jashore route via the Padma Bridge from December 1, ending a long-wait for the shorter route between the capital and the south western regions.

"We will carry out final trial on this route [Bhanga-Jashore] on November 21 and 22 and commercial operation is likely to start from December 1," Project Director Afzal Hossain told The Daily Star tonight.

The Railways Ministry Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan is expected to inaugurate the service with a new train on Dhaka-Khulna route on that day, Afzal said.

He said the 169-km line from Dhaka to Jashore will cut short the travel time by a half. It takes around eight hours to reach Khulna while it would take around four hours after the launching of the line, he said.

It would take around three and a half hours to reach Jashore which currently takes more than seven hours, he added.

Bangladesh Railway (BR) is constructing the 169-km broad-gauge single-line from Dhaka to Jashore via Padma Bridge at a cost of Tk 39,247 crore.

The project named Padma Bridge Rail Link Project is the biggest project for BR in terms of cost, over half of which is being provided by China as a loan.

The original deadline for the project was June 2022 and the latest deadline was June this year.

The Dhaka-Bhanga section of the line was opened in October last year and five trains are being operated through this section. The project tenure has already been extended up to June 2025.

BR is now preparing its next timetable (No-54) -- a book containing detailed schedules and timing of all trains -- and the timetable will have timing of some new trains to be launched on the south-western routes.

Talking to The Daily Star on October 29, BR's Director General Sardar Shahadat Ali said they were preparing the next timetable keeping the new Dhaka-Jashore line in mind.

"We are planning to increase trains on the Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka Jashore routes," he told The Daily Star on that day.

BR sources said they were planning to launch a new train on Dhaka-Khulna route for an up-and-down trip daily.

With the same train, they will give up-and-down trip on Dhaka-Jashore route daily.

The Khulna-bound Sundarban Express and Benapole-bound Benapole Express will run as usual. These two trains will continue to operate via the Padma Bridge-Bhanga-Faridpur-Poradah route.

Earlier, route change of these two trains were in discussion. However, the railway authorities may not change the route considering possible people's protest from Rajbari and Kushita, sources said.

BR is expected to increase the number of trains after opening of the new line gradually.

But, BR sources said, they may not able be to reap the full benefit of the expensive project soon, mainly due to shortages of manpower and carriages.

According to the feasibility study of the project, at least 24 pairs of trains can be operated on the line daily once the entire 169km line is opened. But BR may not launch the expected number of trains on the routes via Padma Bridge due to lack of locomotives and manpower, they said.​

 

[Bilal9]

Bhanga Railway Junction construction status

 

[Bilal9]

Cox's Bazaar Railway Junction (will connect to Myanmar rail route soon)

 

[Saif]

Padma rail link project: Consultancy cost soars to Tk 14.37b after 2nd revision

Spending on consultancy services for the 172-kilometre Padma rail link project would now stand at Tk 14.37 billion, more than 32 per cent higher than the cost estimated after the first revision, insiders said on Tuesday. The cost of the rail link between Dhaka and Jashore via Padma Bridge is Tk 83

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Padma rail link project: Consultancy cost soars to Tk 14.37b after 2nd revision
FHM Humayan Kabir
Published :
Nov 20, 2024 10:36
Updated :
Nov 20, 2024 10:59

Spending on consultancy services for the 172-kilometre Padma rail link project would now stand at Tk 14.37 billion, more than 32 per cent higher than the cost estimated after the first revision, insiders said on Tuesday.

The cost of the rail link between Dhaka and Jashore via Padma Bridge is Tk 83.53 million per kilometre, they said.

State-owned Bangladesh Railway has recently enhanced the consultancy cost at the second revision from its earlier estimation (1st revision) of Tk 9.41 billion.

Development analysts say an expenditure of Tk 14.37 billion for the job is really very ambitious.

The ousted Sheikh Hasina government in January 2016 took up the Padam rail-link project at a cost of Tk 349.88 billion which was supposed to be completed by June 2022.

However, the failure to implement the project timely has forced the government to increase the budget to Tk 390.13 billion.

With the costly Chinese buyers' credit, the last Sheikh Hasina government undertook the project arguing that it would boost the economy of the country's southwestern region.

But the BR failed to implement the project within the stipulated six and a half years tenure between January 2016 and June 2022, forcing the then government to endorse the first revision with a cost escalation to Tk 392.47 billion and time extension to June 2024.

The state-owned railway failed again this time.

The interim government has recently been forced to revise the project for the 2nd time, cutting the overall cost to Tk 390.13 billion but extending the deadline by one more year to June 2025.

When asked, a senior Planning Commission (PC) official said: "We had strictly scrutinised the enhanced consultancy cost of the project before endorsing the second revision. We are forced to approve it."

Since the project is almost completed and the consultants provided their services, the BR is bound to pay the bills, he added. "So, we did not have options but to approve the revision proposal."

This is unfortunate that the failure of the implementing agency ultimately puts a burden on the general people, said the Commission official.

The BR is spending Tk 12.42 billion worth of funds on design and supervision consultancy services and Tk 1.94 billion on resettlement consultancy services.

A senior official at the Ministry of Railway (MoR) alleged that some dishonest powerful people of the past Sheikh Hasina government benefited from the bloated Padma Bridge railway link project.

Nexus and collusion had grappled with Bangladesh's second expensive Padma railway link project, insiders said.

Railway Secretary Abdul Baki told the FE that they had strictly reviewed the 2nd revision proposal and reduced the project cost by some Tk 6.81 billion.

"We are reviewing the project further for streamlining the cost and its implementations. Some Tk 25 billion from the Padma railway link project is likely to be slashed further," he added.

Chinese company CREC and 12 of its subsidiaries are engaged in the construction of the Padma railway link project.

The CREC contracted CRRC Tangshan, a rolling stock manufacturer in China, to supply 100 broad-gauge passenger carriages, along with their spare parts and related services.

China Major Bridge Engineering, a subsidiary of CREC, was contracted for the construction of the Padma multipurpose bridge.

AECOM, a professional and engineering services company based in the US, provided the design of the Padma Bridge.

Ringtech, a construction contractor based in Bangladesh, was subcontracted by CREC to complete the project's remaining bridges, culverts and underpasses.

The Corps of Engineers of the Bangladesh Army was appointed as the construction supervision consultant for the project in January 2017.

Professional services firm SMEC and its wholly-owned subsidiary ACE Consultants, a consulting services provider, were contracted by the Corps of Engineers of Bangladesh Army to provide construction supervision consultancy services for the Padma Bridge rail link project in July 2017.

DORP worked as an implementing NGO for resettlement activities under the supervision of the Construction Supervision Consultant, Corps of Engineers, and the Bangladesh Army.

Strategi Consulting provided construction supervision services for the project, including property acquisition, resettlement plans, clearing rights, utility relocation, contractor review, technical support and safety assurance.​

 

[Saif]

Jamuna Rail Bridge to open Jan next year

The much-awaited double-line dual-gauge railway bridge over the River Jamuna is expected to open in the second week of January 2025. “We have successfully completed construction works of a dedicated double-line dual-gauge railway bridge over the river Jamuna,” Project Director of Banga

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Jamuna Rail Bridge to open Jan next year
BSS
Published :
Nov 20, 2024 20:51
Updated :
Nov 20, 2024 20:51

The much-awaited double-line dual-gauge railway bridge over the River Jamuna is expected to open in the second week of January 2025.

“We have successfully completed construction works of a dedicated double-line dual-gauge railway bridge over the river Jamuna,” Project Director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman told BSS in Dhaka on Wednesday.

He said the 4.8 km long double-line dual gauge bridge, which would be the largest dedicated rail bridge of the country, was constructed with two packages, including WD-1 and WD-2, with the involvement of Tk 167.80 billion (Tk 16,780 crore).

“The total cost of the bridge has been estimated at Tk 167.80 billion (Tk 16,780.95 crore), of which Tk 130 billion (Tk 13,000 crore) has been earmarked for construction work and over Tk 20 billion (Tk 3,000 crore) for meeting other costs. But we have saved Tk 500 million (Tk 50 crore) against construction of a component,” Rahman said.

According to the project details, the main construction work was done with the financial support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA has given around Tk 120 billion (Tk 12,000 crore), while the rest of the money came from the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) fund.

Two Japanese joint venture firms have been carrying out the major works of the project taken in 2016, it said.

The dual-gauge double-track bridge, having a gas pipeline facility, is being built some 3,00 meters upstream of the Bangabandhu Bridge, having a single rail line.

In December 2016, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council passed the bridge project at a cost of Tk 97.34 billion (Tk 9,734 crore) and the project was scheduled to be completed by December 2023.

But the physical work of the project started in August 2020 and the foundation work of the bridge was begun in March 2021, it said.

The rail bridge will ensure smooth railway communication both inside and outside the country. Once the bridge is completed, a dedicated railway network will be set up between the North and the rest of the country, the project details said.

It said the railway bridge would also have a positive impact on the growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

It added the railway bridge would improve the capacity of Bangladesh Railway (BR) in operating more trains between the capital and the western part of the country. It would also help reduce train delays, which are now common.

The new railway bridge will have the capacity to operate 88 trains daily, while a maximum of 22 trains could travel smoothly on the single-line dual gauge Bangabandhu Bridge a day.

Apart from this, considering all the factors, the Bangladesh Railway has taken up two projects—one for constructing the rail bridge and another for constructing a dual-gauge double line from Joydebpur to Ishwardi.​

 

[Bilal9]

Padma rail link project: Consultancy cost soars to Tk 14.37b after 2nd revision

Spending on consultancy services for the 172-kilometre Padma rail link project would now stand at Tk 14.37 billion, more than 32 per cent higher than the cost estimated after the first revision, insiders said on Tuesday. The cost of the rail link between Dhaka and Jashore via Padma Bridge is Tk 83

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Padma rail link project: Consultancy cost soars to Tk 14.37b after 2nd revision
FHM Humayan Kabir
Published :
Nov 20, 2024 10:36
Updated :
Nov 20, 2024 10:59

View attachment 10812

Spending on consultancy services for the 172-kilometre Padma rail link project would now stand at Tk 14.37 billion, more than 32 per cent higher than the cost estimated after the first revision, insiders said on Tuesday.

The cost of the rail link between Dhaka and Jashore via Padma Bridge is Tk 83.53 million per kilometre, they said.

State-owned Bangladesh Railway has recently enhanced the consultancy cost at the second revision from its earlier estimation (1st revision) of Tk 9.41 billion.

Development analysts say an expenditure of Tk 14.37 billion for the job is really very ambitious.

The ousted Sheikh Hasina government in January 2016 took up the Padam rail-link project at a cost of Tk 349.88 billion which was supposed to be completed by June 2022.

However, the failure to implement the project timely has forced the government to increase the budget to Tk 390.13 billion.

With the costly Chinese buyers' credit, the last Sheikh Hasina government undertook the project arguing that it would boost the economy of the country's southwestern region.

But the BR failed to implement the project within the stipulated six and a half years tenure between January 2016 and June 2022, forcing the then government to endorse the first revision with a cost escalation to Tk 392.47 billion and time extension to June 2024.

The state-owned railway failed again this time.

The interim government has recently been forced to revise the project for the 2nd time, cutting the overall cost to Tk 390.13 billion but extending the deadline by one more year to June 2025.

When asked, a senior Planning Commission (PC) official said: "We had strictly scrutinised the enhanced consultancy cost of the project before endorsing the second revision. We are forced to approve it."

Since the project is almost completed and the consultants provided their services, the BR is bound to pay the bills, he added. "So, we did not have options but to approve the revision proposal."

This is unfortunate that the failure of the implementing agency ultimately puts a burden on the general people, said the Commission official.

The BR is spending Tk 12.42 billion worth of funds on design and supervision consultancy services and Tk 1.94 billion on resettlement consultancy services.

A senior official at the Ministry of Railway (MoR) alleged that some dishonest powerful people of the past Sheikh Hasina government benefited from the bloated Padma Bridge railway link project.

Nexus and collusion had grappled with Bangladesh's second expensive Padma railway link project, insiders said.

Railway Secretary Abdul Baki told the FE that they had strictly reviewed the 2nd revision proposal and reduced the project cost by some Tk 6.81 billion.

"We are reviewing the project further for streamlining the cost and its implementations. Some Tk 25 billion from the Padma railway link project is likely to be slashed further," he added.

Chinese company CREC and 12 of its subsidiaries are engaged in the construction of the Padma railway link project.

The CREC contracted CRRC Tangshan, a rolling stock manufacturer in China, to supply 100 broad-gauge passenger carriages, along with their spare parts and related services.

China Major Bridge Engineering, a subsidiary of CREC, was contracted for the construction of the Padma multipurpose bridge.

AECOM, a professional and engineering services company based in the US, provided the design of the Padma Bridge.

Ringtech, a construction contractor based in Bangladesh, was subcontracted by CREC to complete the project's remaining bridges, culverts and underpasses.

The Corps of Engineers of the Bangladesh Army was appointed as the construction supervision consultant for the project in January 2017.

Professional services firm SMEC and its wholly-owned subsidiary ACE Consultants, a consulting services provider, were contracted by the Corps of Engineers of Bangladesh Army to provide construction supervision consultancy services for the Padma Bridge rail link project in July 2017.

DORP worked as an implementing NGO for resettlement activities under the supervision of the Construction Supervision Consultant, Corps of Engineers, and the Bangladesh Army.

Strategi Consulting provided construction supervision services for the project, including property acquisition, resettlement plans, clearing rights, utility relocation, contractor review, technical support and safety assurance.​

Padma Rail link will make it possible to connect Jessore to Dhaka in around 3 hours of travel time. This was unthinkable even five years ago, Dhaka to Kolkata will be another half hour, meaning 3.5 hours.

 

[Jiangnan]

Padma Rail link will make it possible to connect Jessore to Dhaka in around 3 hours of travel time. This was unthinkable even five years ago, Dhaka to Kolkata will be another half hour, meaning 3.5 hours.

It's not a big deal. Our Indian railways are much more advanced than those in Bangladesh.



Look at our Lucknow railway station.

@Krishna with Flute Look how advanced our Indian railway stations are.​

 

[Bilal9]

It's not a big deal. Our Indian railways are much more advanced than those in Bangladesh.



Look at our Lucknow railway station.

@Krishna with Flute Look how advanced our Indian railway stations are.​

Thanks to China Railway Engineering Corporation (CRECG) for building most of the new Bangladesh Railway infrastructure including the Dhaka-Jessore Railway Link via 6.5 KM Padma Bridge, which itself was also built by a Chinese Govt. contractor, China Major Bridge Engineering Company. The bridge was a major engineering challenge piling-wise and MBEC did great.

 

[Jiangnan]

Thanks to China Railway Engineering Corporation (CRECG) for building most of the new Bangladesh Railway infrastructure including the Dhaka-Jessore Railway Link via 6.5 KM Padma Bridge, which itself was also built by a Chinese Govt. contractor, China Major Bridge Engineering Company. The bridge was a major engineering challenge piling-wise and MBEC did great.

View attachment 10951

I Know. I have no issues with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the right to use anything from any source.

I'm just mocking some Indians for stealing pictures of China's infrastructure. Then say this is India.

 

[Saif]

It's not a big deal. Our Indian railways are much more advanced than those in Bangladesh.



Look at our Lucknow railway station.

@Krishna with Flute Look how advanced our Indian railway stations are.​

So, the Indians have started to steal Chinese railway pictures, huh? It's funny.

 

[Bilal9]

I Know. I have no issues with Bangladesh. Bangladesh has the right to use anything from any source.

I'm just mocking some Indians for stealing pictures of China's infrastructure. Then say this is India.

Was that an Indian person posting this in a Twitter (X) post ? Wow. Post was in Russian (Cyrillic) though...

 

[Jiangnan]

So, the Indians have started to steal Chinese railway pictures, huh? It's funny.

The original image is from Wuhan HSR. I used to think that Indians knew about this.

 

[Saif]

The original image is from Wuhan HSR. I used to think that Indians knew about this.

Indians are cheap and thief. Stay away from them.

 

[Saif]

Afzal Hossain, a key figure in Padma Bridge rail project, to lead Bangladesh Railway

Md Afzal Hossain has been appointed as the new director general of Bangladesh Railway. Afzal, who currently serves as the additional director general (infrastructure) of the railway, also worked as the project director of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project. According to a notification issued by t

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Afzal Hossain, a key figure in Padma Bridge rail project, to lead Bangladesh Railway
bdnews24.com
Published :
Nov 28, 2024 22:59
Updated :
Nov 29, 2024 05:36

Md Afzal Hossain has been appointed as the new director general of Bangladesh Railway.

Afzal, who currently serves as the additional director general (infrastructure) of the railway, also worked as the project director of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Railways on Thursday, he will assume his new role on Dec 8.

“The notification was issued this evening. I have been entrusted with the responsibility of director general,” Afzal told bdnews24.com.

He succeeds Sardar Shahadat Ali, who was appointed to the role on Mar 12 this year.​

 

[Saif]

Time to build a new Dhaka-CTG rail route

Though some 170 years have elapsed since the introduction of railway communication in undivided India, the rail service network all over Bangladesh including its Dhaka-Chattogram section still clings to the century-old alignment set by the British. This was due to bureaucratic lethargy and lack of

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Time to build a new Dhaka-CTG rail route
FE
Published :
Nov 30, 2024 21:04
Updated :
Nov 30, 2024 21:04

Though some 170 years have elapsed since the introduction of railway communication in undivided India, the rail service network all over Bangladesh including its Dhaka-Chattogram section still clings to the century-old alignment set by the British. This was due to bureaucratic lethargy and lack of innovative ideas of the railway authorities on the one hand and failure to understand the need for faster movement of man and materials called for by economic vibrancy of the country on the other. While motion is conducive to faster growth, vested quarter find its interest best served by stagnancy. Despite the fact, seemingly marking a break from the lethargic way of action, the Bangladesh Railway (BR) has started to think outside the box and act accordingly. The new Dhaka-Chittagong rail route through Narayanganj proposed by Bangladesh Railway will hopefully make movement between these two major economic hubs faster and thus accelerate the country's export-import business.

According to an FE report, the BR has decided in principle to construct a new route from Dhaka to Chattogram via Narayanganj and Cumilla with the obvious object of creating a shortcut to the country's business capital and thus reducing time and travel distance between the two cities by two hours and 80 kilometres respectively. The trains between the two cities now travel along the 321 km long Tongi-Gazipur single metre-gauge line built at the end of the 19th century. Encouragingly, all formalities for the proposed project including approval from the Planning Commission have been completed. Its finalisation now awaits nod from the Railway Adviser. Once the proposed rail route project is implemented and opened for rolling stocks to move, it will have significant positive impacts on the national economy as a whole and export-import business in particular and therefore will open a new chapter in the history of the country's railway service. It will, hopefully, help Bangladesh Railway come out of the vicious cycle of huge loss it incurs regularly. As has already been mentioned, the new route will bring down time distance between the two cities and thus make travelling cheaper. But that is not all about its benefits; it will also cut the cost of transportation of goods to and from the port city. It will not only make export-import business cost effective but will also ensure timely shipment of export items, especially readymade garments.

Such innovative projects were long overdue for the modernisation of the railway service. While countries like China and Japan are introducing superfast magnetic trains to cope with the meteoric rise of their economies, railway service in Bangladesh is still limping with century-old technology. However, though initiatives for the expansion and improvement of railway network were taken several times since 2007, those were shelved on grounds like political interests of the immediate past regime. As is evident from increasing number of facts revealed every day, the immediate past government did nothing without first realising its narrow political and group interests. It wasted billions of public money in the name of improving railway service but nothing was done in line with it. Now, as the corrupt regime has been dethroned, Bangladesh Railway can go for fresh initiatives to expand its network and modernise services.

The changed situation following the ouster of the despotic regime has created scope for implementing whatever projects including the proposed Dhaka-Chattogram line are taken in hand in an efficient and transparent manner and completed within the fixed timeframe. No personal or coterie interests should be allowed to stand in the way of timely project implementation. Efforts must continue to maximise the benefits of the proposed Dhaka-CTG corridor.​