Dhaka-Narayanganj Route
Rail operation likely to resume next week
Rail operation between Dhaka and Narayanganj is likely to resume early next month as laying of a new rail line between Kamalapur and Gendaria is almost complete.
Operation of trains on this route remained suspended for around five months to facilitate the work of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (PBRLP).
"Work is almost done, except some signalling works, which will be completed within two or three days," said Project Director Afzal Hossain.
"We have already requested GIBR (Government Inspector of Bangladesh Railway) to inspect the line. We hope that operation will resume in the next week," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
A BR official from Dhaka division, said their carriages and manpower are ready and they will be able to resume operation once the line is handed over to them.
We have already requested GIBR (Government Inspector of Bangladesh Railway) to inspect the line; and operation will resume following his recommendation. We hope that operation will resume in the next week.
Before the operation suspension on December 4 last year, BR had been operating nine pairs of trains -- eight pairs of local trains and one Demu train -- between Dhaka and Narayanganj daily.
PBRLP, the railway's biggest project, is being implemented to build a 169-km rail line from Dhaka to Jashore through the Padma Bridge at a cost of Tk 39,247 crore.
Under the project, BR is constructing three dual gauge lines from Kamalapur to Gendaria. Of the three lines, one will be completed within two-three days.
Work of two other lines are ongoing and will take some more time to complete, Afzal said.
Gendaria is connected to Narayanganj with a single line and BR is implementing a separate project to build another line up to Narayanganj.
Passengers could reach Narayanganj from Dhaka within 45 minutes at a fare of only Tk 15. On the other hand, it takes almost an hour to reach Narayanganj by bus at a Tk 55 fare.
Many people from Narayanganj use trains to commute to and from Dhaka. The suspension of the operations for around five months caused them sufferings.