RAJSHAHI, May 11, 2019 (BSS)- West Zone of Bangladesh Railway has been
implementing ten major projects involving around Taka 16,627.21 crore aims at
infusing furthermore dynamism in the railway transportation along with
boosting quality of services.
Mustafizur Rahman, Executive Engineer (Planning and Development), said the
zone has constructed a 55-kilometer new railway track from Kasiani to
Tungipara via Gopalganj and renovated another 82-kilometer line from
Kalukhali to Bhatiapara with a total cost of around Tk 2,110.27 crore. There
are 14 stations and 120 bridges on the route.
He said maximum work on construction of a new railway line from Ishwardi
to Dhalarchar via Pabna has almost been completed.
Under the Taka 1,737.18-crore project, 78.80-kilometer new line and 7.90-
kilometer loop line along with 533-meter big bridges and 952-meter small
bridges were constructed.
In addition to construction of 11 station buildings along with a computer
interlocked signalling system and seven non-interlocking colour light
signalling systems, various necessary infrastructures like platform with
shed, station approach road, boundary wall and office and staff quarter were
installed.
The new railway line has ensured connection between the project area
people with the existing railway network along with expanding the facilities
of passenger movement and goods transportation.
The project is being adjudged as an alternative railway track in the field
of Trans Asian railway and regional connectivity.
Chief Engineer Afzal Hossain told BSS that the zone has been implementing
a Taka 47.84-crore level crossing rehabilitation project to ensure safe and
uninterrupted movement of rail and road traffic by upgrading and manning the
proposed level crossing gates.
To decrease the running time of passengers train by upgrading the level
crossing gates and thus improving the sectional capacity to a large extent is
another goal of the project.
To this end, more than 326 level crossings are being rehabilitated,
constructed and upgraded along with necessary gate keepers, added Engineer
Hossain.
Implementation work on installing 312-set gate barriers and 5508 wooden
sleepers along with necessary signaling system and other instruments is
progressing fast.
The project has also provision of appointing 851 gatekeepers through
outsourcing besides construction and reconstruction of 4,976.50 square-meters
corner-rooms and repairing of 47,793 square-meters road surface attached to
the level crossing. Appointing process of the gatekeepers is at the final
stage.
The zone has been implementing a project titled ‘Railway Line Renovation
and Construction for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’ to facilitate the effort of
establishing an overall transport management system for the plant.
The Taka 335.98-crore project will establish railway communication between
Iswardi bypass take-off point and the power plant that will contribute a lot
to launching a safe and speedy goods train service on the route.
“We have extended computer based interlocking colour light signalling
system to Chatmohar, Jamtoil, Bangabandhu Bridge West and Bangabandhu Bridge
East stations on Ishwardi-Joydevpur section,” said Asim Kumar Talukder, Chief
Signal and Telecom Engineer.
The installed modern system has ensured security to train operation side
by side with boosting its operational facilities on the vital section.
Backdated mechanical signaling system has been replaces with computer based
signaling system in eleven other stations on Ishwardi-Darshana section, he
added.
Ahsan Ullah Bhuiyan, Additional Chief Operating Superintendent, says the
zone, covering Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions, has been operating 159
trains, including 50 intercity ones, on different routes, including the
capital city Dhaka at present.
Forty-six locals or shuttle and sixty-three commuter or mail trains are
also being operated on various routes which are very popular among the
passengers, he added.
“We are conducting feasibility study on important projects of the zone with
an estimated cost of around Taka 9.92 crore,” said Khandakar Shahidul Islam,
General Manager of the zone, while talking to BSS here today.
The project has the provision of construction of a 37-kilometer railway
line from Chapainawabganj to Sonamasjid Land Port. Basically, the port will
be used for imported goods transportation in Bangladesh through railway, he
added.