Broad-gauge trains to run from Kamalapur

The dual gauge tracks are only a few kilometres away from the Kamalapur Railway Station.Photo: STAR

Broad-gauge trains will soon be able to start from Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital as dual-gauge tracks are being laid up to the station that will end the hassles of passengers bound for several northern and western districts.
A train ride to Rajshahi, Khulna, Nilphamari, Natore, Joypurhat and several other districts situated at the western side of the river Jamuna has always been a hassle for city dwellers due to different types of tracks in the east and western region.
The railway network in Dhaka was metre-gauge while most parts of Rajshahi and Khulna regions had broad-gauge rail network, making it impossible to operate broad-gauge trains from Kamalapur station directly to those regions.
For running both types of trains from Dhaka to Rajshahi and Khulna regions, the railway authorities have already converted the line into dual-gauge up to Joydevpur station. The conversion was completed up to Dhaka Cantonment Station last year.
Passengers travelling to Khulna or Rajshahi now have to go to Joydevpur junction from Kamalapur station in a metre-gauge shuttle train and take the broad-gauge train from there to travel to the western districts.
Similarly, the passengers bound for Nilphamari, Natore and Joypurhat board a broad-gauge train that runs from Dhaka Cantonment station.
Railway sources said conversion of the 32-kilometre rail track from Joydevpur to Kamalapur into dual-gauge is almost complete. Only a few kilometres of tracks are left.
"We are currently working on a stretch of tracks leading to the Kamalapur station. Once it is done, broad-gauge trains can start from Kamalapur," said an official from the engineering department of Bangladesh Railway (BR).
The work is expected to complete by December this year.
Bangladesh Railway is currently operating several broad-gauge trains from Dhaka such as Silk City ((Rajshahi), Sundarban Express (Khulna) and Nilsagar Express (Saidpur, Nilphamari). None of these trains starts from Kamalapur station.
Once the dual-gauge track is completed, these trains will be operated from Kamalapur.
"This will most certainly be big boon to our transportation system," said Rezaul Karim, a businessman who has his family living in Khulna. "Travelling to Khulna has always been a bane of my life. A direct train journey from Kamalapur will end our hassles."
Not unlike Karim, there are countless others who avoid train rides and take up other more 'convenient' means of transport just for the hassles they have to face.
"I tend to use buses. I would avoid trains as they have hold-ups and delays," said Jahangir Alam from Fakirapul who has to travel to Joypurhat frequently.
"But I must admit that this may improve our transportation system if they can maintain the schedules properly and ensure smooth and direct journey," he said.
Irregularities and delays in train services have always caused serious disruption in supply of good to Dhaka. Direct broad-gauge link to Kamalapur station will make it easier to transport foodgrain and other goods from the western and northern districts to Dhaka.
According to railway sources, plans to replace the metre-gauge line on Dhaka-Tongi-Joydevpur rail route with dual-gauge line had been on the drawing board for a long time. After years of dillydallying, the scheme finally saw the day of light in 2006.
Under the scheme, 32 kilometres of tracks are being replaced with 5.6 feet [broad-gauge] line so that they can accommodate both types of trains.