POSITION PAPER BANGLADESH 4 Meeting of the Working Group on the

4th Meeting of the Working Group on the
Trans-Asian Railway Network
23-24 November 2015
POSITION PAPER
BANGLADESH
Presented by:
Najnin Ara Keya
Additional Chief Engineer
Bangladesh Railway
Brief about Bangladesh Railway
1862: Started its journey as Eastern Bengal Railway with
53.11 km Jagoti-Darsana BG Rail link.
1961: Renamed as Pakistan Eastern Railway.
1972: Started providing services as Bangladesh Railway.
1998: East-West Railway connectivity over river Jamuna was
established from the day of opening Bangabandhu Bridge.
2003: Direct BG train communication between East and West zone was
established over Bangabandhu Bridge.
2007: Bangladesh signed TAR agreement.
2008: Direct passenger train “Maitree Express” between Dhaka and Kolkata
established.
2011: Ministry of Railways formed under SRO-361.
Covers and connects 44 Districts of the country out of 64 Districts.
456 stations encircling core business activities around the country.
In 2014: 65 million Passengers and 2.52 million tonnes freight carried by BR.
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Operational Information of Bangladesh Railway
Two Zones: East and West Zone
• East Zone: 1308.27 km
• MG: 1273.38 km
• BG: 0.00 km
• DG: 34.89 km
• West Zone: 1568.83 km
• MG: 534.67 km
• BD: 659.33 km
• DG: 374.83 km
Operational Division: 4 divisions
• Dhaka
• Chittagong
• Paksey
• Lalmonirhat
Total Route Kilometer:
• 2877.10 km
• MG: 1808.05 km
• BG: 659.33 km
• DG: 409.72 km
Existing Railway Network
Government’s Strategic Position on establishing TAR
Bangladesh singed the “Intergovernmental Agreement on the
Trans-Asian Railway Network” on 09 November 2007 as 20th
signatory.
Cabinet Committee approved in-principle to ratify the agreement
on 09 March 2009.
The Hona’ble Minister of Foreign Affairs issued ratification of the
said agreement on 11 August 2010.
 ESCAP recorded the date of 25 August 2010 as date of
ratification.
Status of Missing Links of TAR Network in Bangladesh
Radhikapur
(West
Bengal,
India) and Birol (Bangladesh):
Train operation has been closed
since 01 April, 2005 due to
conversion of meter gauge line
into broad gauge line in Indian
side upto Radhikapur.
To re-establish the connectivity,
the government of Bangladesh
undertook a project on 15-042009 to convert the existing BirolParbatipur meter gauge section
into dual gauge under Japan
Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).
The physical progress of the project is about 95%. The project is targeted to be
completed by June 2016.
Status of Missing Links of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Shahbazpur (Bangladesh) to
Karimganj-Mohishasan (India):
Train operation has been closed
since 07 July, 2002 due to
deplorable condition of railway
track & bridges in KulauraShahbazpur section.
GOB has taken a project to reestablish this inter-country railway
linkage under Indian Line of
Credit
fund.
Design
and
supervision consultancy contract
was signed on 13.08.2015.
The project is targeted to be completed by June 2019.
Status of Missing Links of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Dohazari-Gundum (Bangladesh):
feasibility study, detailed design and
preparation of Bid document for
construction of dual gauge rail line
is being carried out under ADB
funded TA project.
Total 128 km dual gauge single line
Railway track with the provision of
future double track will be
constructed from Dohazari to Cox’s
Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to
Gundum near Myanmar Border.
ADB has been agreed in-principle to finance more than US$ 1.00 Billion for the
investment project. The project is planned to be completed by June 2020. The
land acquisition process for the project is going on.
Status of Missing Links of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Railway Bridge parallel to existing
Bangabandhu Bridge:
•There is load restriction of 43.7 KN/m
and speed restriction of 20 kmph on
existing Bangabandhu Bridge.
• As such it is essential to construct a
separate bridge for railway to allow TAR
traffic.
•Feasibility study has been carried out
under ADB funded TA project.
• A dedicated railway bridge with the
provision of DG double line is going to be
constructed under JICA funding.
• Detailed design under JICA fund is
targeted to be completed by 2017.
•The investment project would cost more
than 1 billion USD.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh
Dhaka - Chittagong railway
corridor:
Out of total 320.79 km DhakaChittagong railway corridor, only
78.34 km double track is to be
constructed to establish double
line train operation in the total
corridor.
Moreover,
Government
of
Bangladesh has decided to
convert the entire DhakaChittagong railway corridor into
DG for capacity enhancement of
the corridor and unification of
gauge.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Dhaka-Chittagong
corridor (Contd.):
railway
•61km double track in LaksamChinki
Astana
section
constructed under JICA & GOB
fund was inaugurated on
19.04.2015.
•64km double track in TongiBhairab
Bazar
section
constructed under ADB & GOB
fund is targeted to be
inaugurated
in
December
2015.
•2nd Bhairab and 2nd Titas along with railway approaches construction is targeted to be
completed by 2018.
•Only remaining single line section Akhaura-Laksam (72 km) will be double tracked under
ADB, EIB and GOB fund which is expected to be completed by 2020.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Chittagong-Dohazari
section:
railway
•Government of Bangladesh has
planned to construct a second
rail-cum-road bridge over river
Karnaphuli at Kalurghat point.
•The project is likely to be
financed by EDCF, Korea.
• Feasibility study is on progress
by the Korean consultants
engaged
by
EDCF.
Loan
Agreement is yet to be signed.
•Government of Bangladesh has planned to convert existing single meter gauge line of
Chittagong-Dohazari section into dual gauge double line to cater increasing railway traffic.
• Feasibility study, detailed design and tendering services is going to be carried out under
ADB funded TA project. Investment project is also likely to be financed by ADB.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Isurdi-Joydevpur section:
•GOB
has
planned
to
construct 164 km new DG
railway track to allow all type
of containers commonly used
in maritime shipping, double
staking of containers and
cross border traffic.
•Feasibility study has been
carried out under ADB funded
TA project.
•The
investment
project
would cost around USD 1060
million.
•A non-binding MOU was signed with China Civil Engineering Construction
Corporation on 26 October 2014. The project assistance yet to be finalized.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Parbatipur- Ishurdi
Section:
GOB has planned to
construct a second
dual gauge railway
track in ParbatipurAbdulpur section (157
km) for double line
operation
of
train
services in the section.
Feasibility study is yet
to be done and project
assistance yet to be
arranged.
Improvement of Line Capacity of TAR Network in Bangladesh (Contd.)
Akhaura-KulauraSylhet :
GOB has planned under
Master
Plan
of
Bangladesh Railway to
convert meter gauge
track of Akhaura-KulauraSylhet section (176.72
km) into dual gauge.
The new dual gauge line
will be designed with axle
load of 25 ton and design
speed of 120 kmph.
Feasibility study is yet to
be carried out.
A non-binding MOU was signed with China Railway Construction Bridge
Engineering Bureau Group Co. Ltd. on 15 September 2015.
The project assistance is yet to be finalized.
Establishment of an Inland Container Depot
Proposed ICD at Dhirasram
with the capacity of 3,54,000
TEUs will be ideally suited for
containerization
of
IndoBangla trade in the near
future and may serve as land
hub in Trans-Asian Railway
(TAR), SAARC and BIMSTEC
corridors.
A
feasibility
study
for
construction
of
ICD
at
Dhirasram was conducted in
2004.
A TA project under ADB fund is taken in hand for upgradation of the feasibility
study along with detailed design preparation and tendering services for
construction of the ICD. The investment project is likely to be financed by ADB
Proposed Padma Bridge Rail link in Bangladesh
180 km (approx.) BG railway line is
going to be constructed connecting
Dhaka-Mawa-Padma Bridge-BhangaNarail-Rupdia/Singia.
The project is going to be
implemented under China G2G
funding.
The line will shorten the distance
between Dhaka-Benapole by 185 km.
Feasibility study of phase-I & II and
detailed design for phase-I is about to
complete.
Negotiation for commercial contract
with China Railway Group Limited is
going on.
Railway connection with Sea Ports in Bangladesh
• At
present
railway
connection
with
only
Chittagong sea port exists in
Bangladesh.
•A project is going on to
connect Mongla Sea Port
under Indian Line of Credit
and targeted to be completed
by 2018.
•GOB
has
planned
to
construct another sea port at
Payra and railway line from
Bhanga to connect the port.
Railway connection with Sea Ports in Bangladesh
•Government of Bangladesh has decide
to establish a power generation hub
based on coal-fired power plants in
Matarbari 3000 MW and Moheshkhali
6000 MW and also 3000 MW LNG
based power plant in the same area in
future. The power hub facility will
include Deep Sea Port with Coal and
Heavy jetty, coal yard, container
handling facilities etc.
• Feasibility study, detailed design and
tendering services for construction of
railway link with the power hub and
deep sea port is going to be carried out
under an ADB funded TA project.
Proposed amendment in TAR network in Bangladesh
In conformity with article
8(4) of the Agreement,
Bangladesh has
proposed an
amendment as
described hereafter:
On the Darsana –
Gundum line
Replace
Tongi (junction) Dhaka
With
Tongi (junction) Dhaka –
Narayanganj – [Mawa –
Bhanga – Narail –
Jessore] – Benapol
(border station) – (India)
Policies and issues relating to the development of TAR
Physical and institutional improvement of BR is undertaken in line with
NLTP and Railway Master Plan.
Major issues are to restructure Bangladesh Railway into commercially oriented organization in combination with substantial investment in
infrastructure, rolling stocks, signalling systems, maintenance and technical
modernization for sustainable development.
Implementation of Tariff structure reform: A proposal for implementation
of a fixed 'Tariff Structure' with an yearly adjustment formula based on
various factors is now under active consideration of the government of
Bangladesh for approval.
Establishment of Container Company in Bangladesh Railway:
Action has been taken to establish a company named "Container Company
of Bangladesh Limited" dedicated for only container transportation. The
proposal of establishment of the Container Company is now under
consideration of the government of Bangladesh for approval.