With 56 percent completion of the construction of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway line, a priority project of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2022.
To reap the benefits of this rail line project, a bridge will be built at Kalurghat on the Karnaphuli River, funded by South Korea.
Bangladesh Railway (BR) sources said, “The new rail link connecting the port city Chattogram and country’s tourism hub Cox’s Bazar, is expected to open within 2023 aiming to help promote trade, investment and tourism in Bangladesh in a greater way by transporting 2.9 million passengers annually by 2024.”
Of the two priority mega projects of the Prime Minister for rail, one is construction of a 128km railway line from Dohazari-Cox's Bazar - Ghumdhum. The other is the construction of a 182 km railway line from Kamalapur in Dhaka to Jashore via the Padma Bridge.
The Chattogram– Cox’s Bazar railway corridor is part of the Trans-Asian railway network that will facilitate access for the Cox’s Bazar region’s population and products to sub-regional markets and trade.
The Trans-Asia railway network, an initiative led by the United Nations, aims to provide seamless rail links between Asia and Europe for better connection.
The project is being implemented at a cost of Taka 18,400 crore with the funding of Asian Development Bank (ADB).
BR sources said,“Construction of 25 bridges, including four major bridges under the project, is processing. Large bridges are being built over the MatamuhuriRiver, Matamuhuri tributary, Shankho and BankkhaliRiver.”
About 90 percent work of the bridges and culverts of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway line has been completed while about 60 percent of the field work has been completed, said Nurul Islam Sujan, Railways Minister, after visiting the project areas on Saturday night in Chattogram.
He said, “The field work will be completed by March 2021. I think the entire work including construction of station, platform, signaling system will be completed within a year.”
Although the work started a little late, the construction work of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway is going on in full swing. In the meantime, 56 percent of the work has been completed. Hopefully, the project will be completed by June 2022, the minister added.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the project will cover 88-km from Dohazari in Chattogram to Ramu, 12-km from Ramu to Cox's Bazar and 26-km fromRamu to Ghumdhum. Construction of Satkania and Lohagara stations in Chattogram, Chakaria, Dulahazara, Eidgah, Ramu, Sadar and Ukhia stations in Cox's Bazar and Ghumdhum stations in Naikhyangchhari are also being built.
To get the full benefit of this project, a bridge needs to be built at KalurGhat on the Karnaphuli River. Railways Minister Sujan said,“South Korea will finance the project.”
