Shuttle train

Mr. Masum Ahmed's letter on “Effective Solution” published in your daily on 2nd Nov.09 makes much sense. The introduction of shuttle trains can significantly reduce traffic in Dhaka at the minimum possible time and cost.

The prime minister has announced that overbridges will be built at six level crossings of Dhaka city. This will allow road traffic to ply without having to stop at level crossings. As a start Bangladesh railway can adjust their schedule with other inter district trains giving priority during office hours to the shuttle trains for the city dwellers.

Next, as Bangladesh Railway has sufficient land on either side of the existing railway lines, special rail lines for the shuttle can be introduced from Tongi station to Kamalapur station. This will be a circular line having a round about at Tongi and another at Kamalapur. Shuttles can run like sky rails having a stop for a minute at each station which should be less than two minutes travelling time apart. So a shuttle would be available at a station every two minutes.

Each shuttle train should have five buggies with a capacity to seat 40 persons and another 20 to stand like the tubes in London. Tongi and Mohakhali already have overbridges. Azampur, ZIA, Cantonment, Banani, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Karwanbazar, Moghbazar, Malibagh, Khilgaon and Kamalapur have stops. Ten shuttles can run in a circular route on the two sides of the present railway lines with only five trains running on one side at any time.

The shuttle can coexist with sky rails which is proposed to be introduced later. This will save time and money like the road which now connects the PM's office with the Rokeya Sharani and solve the increasing gridlock seen daily on the roads of Dhaka.