Rail to revive as govt eyes major transport reset

Highlights:

• Planning Commission prioritises rail in multimodal transport roadmap
• Roads handle 80%, causing strain and safety risks
• Rail electrification and chord lines proposed for upgrades
• Freight rail target raised from under 5% to 20%
• Three inland water hubs planned to boost logistics
• Ports expanding to support integrated, lower-cost transport network

The Planning Commission is finalising a multimodal transport roadmap that prioritises the railway sector. The strategy aims to alleviate pressure on the road network and bolster regional connectivity, sources in the Planning Commission and review of relevant summary papers reveal.

Officials said work is underway to finalise a summary of the recommendations for submission to the government's high-level policymakers.

Currently, roads handle 80% of national transport demand, causing rapid wear, safety risks, and land acquisition challenges. Following six months of consultations, the Physical Infrastructure Division has recommended a major strategic shift.

Discussions with relevant stakeholders highlighted that ensuring safe passenger transport is achievable through a combination of building and maintaining resilient road infrastructure, strictly enforcing road traffic acts, and implementing a standardised public transport network.

Additionally, increasing the capacity for passenger and freight transport across rail and inland waterways will alleviate the burden on the road system. The Physical Infrastructure Division believes that achieving a fruitful synergy between these three transport sectors is essential to this objective.

Infograph: TBS

Rail electrification, chord line and port integration

The proposed roadmap includes installing electric traction on the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor and the Narayanganj-Dhaka and Dhaka-Joydebpur routes to modernise intercity and commuter services.

It also proposes developing the Dhaka-Laksam/Comilla chord line, strengthening rail connectivity across all seaports, and expediting completion of the Matarbari Deep Sea Port and Bay Terminal projects.

The Commission has set a target of increasing rail's share of freight transport to at least 20%, from the current level of less than 5%.

Kabir Ahamed, head of the Physical Infrastructure Division, told The Business Standard that relevant agencies had agreed in principle to an integrated transport framework.

"This alignment will ensure that all ministries contribute effectively towards a single overarching goal from their respective domains," he said.

Three inland water hubs proposed

To boost water-based logistics, the Commission has proposed developing three major inland water hubs.

One would centre on Ashuganj River Port to serve the expanding industrial belts of Habiganj and Narsingdi. Another would prioritise the Pangaon Inland Container Terminal to ease congestion on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway corridor. A third hub has been proposed around Noapara River Port in Jashore.

Officials say Bangladesh is geographically well positioned to expand waterborne freight, but navigability must be ensured through time-bound dredging, river training and bank protection. Customs and monitoring services must also be operationalised at key river ports, alongside seamless road and rail links.

ICD expansion and port connectivity

The Planning Commission has stressed the urgency of accelerating construction of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Dhirashram to handle growing container volumes at Chattogram Port.

To capitalise on Padma Bridge connectivity and facilitate container transport from Mongla Port, it has proposed evaluating ICD facilities at Nimtoli and in the Pabna-Ishwardi corridor.

The Commission has also called for a comprehensive assessment of the Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar-Matarbari corridor to determine how much container traffic can realistically be shifted to rail, considering future demand, expanded port capacity and the upcoming Bay Terminal.

It further emphasised the need to expedite decisions on railway projects financed under India's Line of Credit.

Roads overburdened, say officials

Echoing the Commission's view, Syed Moinul Hasan, chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, said the road network is under severe strain.

"This is primarily because rail and waterways have not secured their necessary share of passenger and freight traffic," he said, urging a strategic reduction in road dependency.

Md Afzal Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, acknowledged that rail's modal share remains below 5% but pointed to initiatives to expand container train operations through procurement of locomotives, coaches and wagons. A dedicated container company has also been established to improve freight efficiency, he said.

Ports gearing up for expansion

Officials from the shipping sector said multiple projects are underway to modernise seaports and facilitate trade.

Mahbub Morshed Chowdhury, chief planning officer of the Chattogram Port Authority, said seaborne trade is growing at around 10% annually. With eight export processing zones already operational and more planned, alongside potential transit cargo from Nepal, Bhutan and India's north-eastern states, port capacity must expand accordingly.

A Mongla Port Authority official noted that around 70% of Bangladesh's imports and exports are linked to Dhaka. Since the Padma Bridge opened, the distance between Dhaka and Mongla has become roughly 100 kilometres shorter than the Dhaka-Chattogram route, strengthening the case for boosting Mongla's capacity.

Officials say that alongside Chattogram, both Mongla and Payra ports must be fully utilised to handle rising demand and ease congestion.

Political alignment

The Planning Commission's initiative aligns with the transport priorities outlined in the BNP's 2026 election manifesto, which envisages a double-track and high-speed rail network, a national expressway grid, smart traffic management, modern waterways and port upgrades.

In his first televised address as prime minister on 18 February, Tarique Rahman announced plans to overhaul and expand the railway network to ease pressure on urban centres and enable economic activity to spread beyond the capital. He also said the functions of the rail, road and waterway ministries would be reorganised for better coordination.

Officials involved in drafting the roadmap say the ultimate goal is to establish a seamless, integrated, multimodal network connecting ports, export processing zones, economic zones, industrial clusters and power plants – reducing logistics costs while improving safety and sustainability.