On the busiest railway corridor in Dhaka, Bangladesh - Chittagong - overcrowded narrow-gauge trains are undergoing a radical transformation. A railway modernization upgrade aimed at reshaping the country's economic backbone has already begun. The Bangladesh Railway has announced an ambitious plan to launch 19 new projects, with a total investment of up to 333.08 billion taka. The core of this series of projects is to completely upgrade the railway corridor connecting the capital Dhaka and the largest seaport Chittagong, transforming it into an efficient double-track railway to cope with the increasing pressure of passenger and freight transportation.
Connecting the economic lifelines between the eastern and western regions
The modernization blueprint of the railways in Bangladesh clearly points to the country's economic artery - the Dhaka-Jessore corridor. This 321-kilometer-long railway line is the most important transportation route connecting the capital with the economic center and the maritime gateway. Its capacity directly affects the national trade in goods and the movement of people.
Although over 100 billion rupees have been invested in building double-track lines for the narrow-gauge railway, the delay in the double-track construction has become a bottleneck. Currently, only the section from Akaura to Laksham has been converted to double-track, and the transportation capacity has been limited. Sources indicate that the inadequacy of the initial planning has led to the need for more funds and time to be invested to make up for it now.
To this end, two key double-track projects have been prioritized:
Laksam-Chinki Astana-Chittagong section, investment is about 187.21 billion taka
Tungi-Bhairab Bazar-Akhaura section, investment is about 145.87 billion taka
The advancement of these two major projects marks Bangladesh's determination to comprehensively upgrade this corridor from single/double-track meter gauge to a modern double-track railway, fundamentally improving the logistics efficiency and transportation capacity between the east and west.
From vehicle procurement to road network electrification
In addition to the dual-tracking of core corridors, the modernization of Bangladesh Railways is a systematic project. Bangladesh Railway officials have made it clear that increasing rolling stock capacity and building railway infrastructure are twin priorities for the next fiscal year. In terms of vehicles, the plan includes the purchase of 20 meter-gauge diesel electric locomotives and 150 meter-gauge passenger cars to directly increase operating capacity. At the same time, the management and maintenance system of existing rolling stock will also be upgraded.
In terms of road network construction, the planning goes far beyond the Dhaka-Gudagang line. Other key projects include:
Electrification of the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Gazipur section.
Joudpur-Mymensingh-Jamalpur double track railway development.
Repair and reconstruction of existing railways in the east and west regions.
The projects aim to improve the overall reliability, speed and carrying capacity of the national rail network. The Bangladeshi government stated that many projects have received support from international partners. According to the plan, Bangladesh Railway strives to complete 6 of the 32 projects under implementation in fiscal year 2026, including the Khulna-Darsana double-track project, etc., to promote the modernization of the road network into the fast lane.
With the launch of these large-scale projects, Bangladesh Railway is entering a critical period of transformation. From focusing on core corridors to upgrading the national road network, from adding more vehicles to revamping the electrification system, this series of initiatives aims to lay a solid foundation for the growth of passenger and freight transportation over the next two decades. The comprehensive strengthening of this steel artery is not only related to travel efficiency, but also a core strategy to drive Bangladesh’s economic growth and improve regional connectivity.
This article comes from www.seetao.com
