Tk93.51cr project launched for green railway development

The government has initiated a move to implement Tk93.51 crore project in a bid to conduct necessary preparations for operating green railway transport system in the country.

Bangladesh Railway under the Ministry of Railways will implement the project titled "Green Railway Transport Preparatory Technical Assistance" with an estimated cost of Tk93.51 crore to be completed by March 2027.

Of the total project cost, Tk28.37 crore will come from the Government of Bangladesh portion while the rest of Tk65.14 crore as project loan from the IDA of the World Bank.

The project has recently been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting.

The project area covers Dhaka Railway Station in Kamalapur and Dhaka Airport Railway Station under the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor, from Faujdarhat to the Chattogram Goods Port Yard (CGPY) and then CGPY to Bay Terminal at Patenga in Chattogram, and Mirsharai upazila in Chattogram.

The World Bank funding will be used for the project involving carrying out of feasibility study for the expansion and reconstruction of station building and other facilities at Airport Railway Station, conducting feasibility study for relocation of existing operational and maintenance facilities, reconstruction of station building yard to create multimodal transport hub at Kamalapur Station.

Besides, the project objectives also include establishing rail connectivity from Faujdarhat to the Goods Port Yard and Bay Terminal in Chattogram, and enhanced rail links in the Mirsharai Economic Zone.

Talking to BSS, a Planning Commission official said that the Physical Infrastructure Division of the planning commission held a meeting of the Special Project Evaluation Committee (SPEC) on 12 February where the Planning Commission recommended for implementing the project subject to fulfillment of some conditions.

The official said the World Bank has initially given consent to provide $6 million as a Project Preparatory Advance (PPA) from the project's main loan.

As part of the project, there will be a feasibility study on reconstructing station building yards, including the relocation of the existing operation and maintenance facilities to facilitate the construction of multimodal transport hubs at the Kamalapur and Dhaka Airport stations.

There will be a feasibility study on the development of rail connections from Faujdarhat to the Goods Port Yard and Bay Terminal in Chattogram.

The purchase of freight locomotives, relief trains, and haulage, as well as the development of rail connection infrastructure in the Mirsharai Economic Zone will be financed by the main project. Once the green railway transport system is launched fully, then there will be less carbon emission which would also help to minimize environment pollution.

The Planning Commission official said that the purpose of the Green Railway Transport is to enhance the overall capacity of the railway management alongside improving its standard of services in a bid to develop and modernize properly the railway infrastructures as well as developing sustainable and environment-friendly transportation system.

Improved railway transportation system will also ensure easier communication, reduce manifold the transport cost, help flourish trade and commerce and thus create employment opportunities, added the official.

Earlier, the World Bank issued an aide-memoire where it said it plans to finance the technical assistance project along with the main investment project.

The project has been included in the new list of foreign-funded unapproved projects under the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) for the current fiscal year (FY25). Feasibility study will be conducted under this project.