Dual-gauge upgrade planned for Laksam-Ctg rail link to boost trade
The government has set a target of raising the share to 50% and plans to achieve this partly by unifying gauges along the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor.
The government has planned a Tk16,955 crore project to upgrade the Laksam-Chattogram rail link to dual gauge, aiming to facilitate the movement of goods and containers and boost domestic and international trade through Chattogram and Matarbari ports.
The project will convert the existing 131.20km meter-gauge double track into dual-gauge double track, allowing both meter- and broad-gauge trains to operate on the route, according to a railway ministry project proposal seen by The Business Standard.
The initiative is expected to facilitate the movement of goods and containers from Chattogram Port, Matarbari deep-sea port and economic zones to different parts of the country, according to documents prepared for a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting of the Planning Commission.
The project, titled "Conversion of Laksam-Chattogram Meter-Gauge Double Track into Dual-Gauge Double Track", also aims to boost domestic and international trade and strengthen Bangladesh's connectivity with the Trans-Asian Railway network.
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Of the estimated project cost, Tk14,130 crore will come as a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), while Tk2,825 crore will be provided by the government. Bangladesh Railway will implement the project from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2032.
Only about 4% of the country's containers are currently transported by rail, according to the PEC documents. The government has set a target of raising the share to 50% and plans to achieve this partly by unifying gauges along the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor.
The corridor will also strengthen Bangladesh's potential rail connectivity with Nepal, Bhutan and India's northeastern region through the Trans-Asian Railway network.
Of the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor, the 22.94km Dhaka-Tongi section and 71.24km Akhaura-Laksam section have already been converted from meter-gauge single tracks into double-track dual-gauge lines.
The remaining 225.85km consists of the 97.01km Tongi-Bhairab Bazar-Akhaura section and the 131.20km Laksam-Chattogram section. The latter remains meter gauge and is the focus of the new project.
Canada-based CANARAIL Consultant Inc has been appointed the lead design consultant, working with SMEC Consultants Pty Ltd of Australia, SYSTRA SA of France, ACE Consultant Ltd of Bangladesh and STRATEGI Consultant Limited.
A technical feasibility study by the consultants found the project financially viable and technically feasible, with social and environmental justification.
Once implemented, the project is expected to increase passenger and freight traffic from Cox's Bazar and Matarbari by connecting with the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail link.
Train operating costs on the Laksam-Chattogram section are expected to fall, while speeds could reach 100kmph for broad-gauge trains and 80kmph for meter-gauge trains, reducing travel time.
The project is also expected to ease pressure from freight vehicles on national highways and improve the country's logistics network.
