Staff Correspondent
CHATTOGRAM: The inauguration of the eagerly anticipated 72-kilometre Laksam-Akhaura dual-gauge double-line railway track project promises smooth, faster and frequent rail communication between the capital Dhaka and beach city Cox’s Bazar via Chattogram.Concerned officials of the ‘Chattogram (Dohazari) to Cox’s Bazar Railway Track’ and ‘Laksam-Akhaura Double Line’ projects hoped that significant changes in the rail communication to and from the Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar will be witnessed following inauguration of the project.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Laksam-Akhaura double-line project through a virtual platform from her official residence Ganabhaban on Thursday.
With the 72-km dual-gauge double tracks, the entire 321-km Dhaka-Chattogram corridor has been updated into a double-line dual-gauge one.Apart from increasing its operational capacity, the new track will save travel time by 30 minutes to 45 minutes while the intercity trains will be benefited much.
The previous travel time of 5.30 to 6.30 hours between Chattogram and Dhaka will be reduced to less than five hours for some trains, said sources concerned.The Project Director (PD) Md Suboktogin observed that the added benefits to the passengers include faster and more comfortable travel experiences.In addition to the intercity trains, such as Subarna, Sonar Bangla, and Turnan Nishitha on the Dhaka-Chattogram route, other trains will also reap benefits from the improved infrastructure, he said.The double-line will allow an increase in train speeds and eliminate the need for waiting at crossings, he said.
On the other hand, construction of the Chattogram (Dohazari)-Cox’s Bazar rail line has moved into high gear and witnessed progress of over 86 per cent of physical work, as Bangladesh Railway (BR) aims to have the tracks operational by September next. The Project Director (PD) Md Mofizur Rahman told the Daily Sun that they are working relentlessly engaging additional manpower to complete the rest work for accelerating progress towards the target deadline.The original plan was to launch the rail route in December this year, however, the Railway Minister’s announcement of an earlier start in September necessitated an upsurge in work pace, he said.Asked about the advantages of launching the double-lane on Dhaka-Chattogram route, the PD said Railway used to run some 23 trains over the single track earlier.Now, the number of the trains can be increased on the route while it will reduce the number accident and there will have no scope for head-on collision, he said.“The new line will help a train to reach Cox’s Bazar by 7.30 to eight hours. The time will be reduced further after renovation of the Kalurghat bridge and the old 54 km lines of Chattogram-Doahzari section,” said Mofizur.We initially planned to operate some 20 trains on Dhaka – Cox’s Bazar route after inauguration of the project,” he added.Bangladesh Railway (East) General Manager (GM) Jahangir Hossain said the double-line will leave significant impact on train movement on the both Chattogram-Dhaka and Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar routes.
Planning is going on to set the timetable and type of compartments for the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route, he said mentioning, they are trying to offer a faster and comfortable journey to the passengers on the route.Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Mahbubul Alam said the double-line will expedited the transportation of the booth goods and passengers through railway to and from Cox’s Bazar and Dhaka via Chattogram.The alternative way of transportation from the tourist city Cox’s Bazar will help the businesspeople bring products to customers faster at a cheaper cost, he added.
Mentionable, originally, out of the 321 kilometres of railway tracks on the Dhaka-Chattogram route, only 118 kilometres had double lines. However, the current government developed an additional 131 kilometres of double-line under three projects in 2009.In 2014, the Bangladesh Railway undertook a project to further develop 72 kilometres as a double-line dual-gauge in the Laksam-Akhaura section.The project, which costs approximately Tk 65.04 billion, was a collaboration between China Railway Group Limited, Toma Construction Company Limited, and Max Infrastructure Limited (CTM). Funding came from a mix of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Bangladesh government.A 23-kilometre track in the Laksam and Cumilla areas opened in 2021, followed by a 16-kilometre track from Kosba to Mandbag and Shahidal to Rajapur earlier this year.With the final 33 kilometres from Rajapur to Cumilla and Kosba to Akhaura completed, the entire project was inaugurated yesterday.Impressively, the project ended up saving around Tk 10 billion from the initial projected cost.Besides, the project, named ‘Construction of Single Line Dual-Gauge Railway Track from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar Via Ramu and Ramu to Ghumdhum near Myanmar’, is a priority government initiative.The total railway distance from Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar is approximately 154 kilometres, with the existing 54-kilometre track between Chattogram and Dohazari.However, the worn-out Kalurghat road-cum-rail bridge and the deteriorating state of the old track put significant obstacles to commencing service on the new route.Currently, the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway serves as the principal connection between the beach city and the rest of the country.However, it struggles to cope with the large influx of tourists and goods transportation to and from Cox’s Bazar.The railway project aims to address these challenges, ensuring safer, more comfortable, and cheaper transportation for locals and tourists alike, and facilitating the more efficient transport of agricultural goods.The existing Chattogram-Dohazari metre-gauge line was established based on a survey conducted by Myanmar Railway from 1917 to 1919. Unfortunately, due to World War II, the track was never extended up to Ramu.Now, a 100 km track from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar via Ramu will be established in the first phase, followed by a 28 km track from Ramu to Ghumdhum in the second phase.The project, which costs around Tk 18,034 crore, was initiated in 2016, six years after it was first conceived. Funding is being provided by the Government of Bangladesh and the Asian Development Bank, with CREC-Tama JV and CCECC-Max JV serving as project contractors.

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