The Bangladesh Railway is going to conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of electric train service between Dhaka and Rajshahi.
The railways ministry gave its nod in this regard in a meeting to evaluate the project on Wednesday.
The ministry secretary Humayun Kabir told New Age that as the ministry had approved the proposal, it would be sent to the Planning Commission for final approval.
The project cost is estimated at Tk 24 crore with the timeline from January 2022 to June 2023, said the proposal.
In 2021, the railway authorities took the initiative to conduct a feasibility study to introduce electric traction, including overhead catenary and sub-station, from Rajshahi to Dhaka and prepare a detailed design.
The Dhaka-Rajshahi route is about 258 kilometres long with around 40 stations.
Following the proposal, the railways ministry organised a meeting at Rail Bhaban on Wednesday to evaluate the project proposal.
The meeting was presided over by the ministry secretary Md Humayun Kabir.
As per the meeting decision, the railway is going to revise the development project proposal before sending it to the Planning Commission for final approval, according to the officials attended the meeting.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on July 17, 2019, said that the government had a plan to introduce electric and high-speed trains in the country to make the railway services better and faster.
She mentioned that with the introduction of electric and speedy trains, goods transport would be easier and faster.
In 2016, the railway took a step to conduct a feasibility study to assess the prospect of an electric traction from Narayanganj to Joydevpur via Dhaka which was later approved by the Planning Commission and currently the tender process for conducting the feasibility study was underway.
-With New Age input
