40 broad gauge high speed rail engines will be collected for Bangladesh Railway (BR) from United States. The velocity of the engines is 130 kilometers per hour. Those are going to be available in the country from next month. In addition eight high speed meter gauge engines will be brought from Korea. Besides, the rail communication between Cox’s Bazar and other parts of the country will begin at the end of next year.
The information was delivered by Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan while exchanging views with the leaders of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) at his office on Wednesday.
Responding to the questions of newsmen the minister said, rail communication between Bhanga and Mawa will start on the inauguration day of Padma Bridge. There will be no rail gate between Dhaka-Jashore rail link road. There will be adequate overpass and underpasses. There will be a revolutionary change in rail communication of the country when Padma Bridge project is completed.
He said, we are working on reducing rail crossing accidents. We have raised the amount of compensation from 10 thousand taka to one lakh taka. BR is working to reduce accidents on crossings for the sake of its own security interest.
Nurul Islam Sujan said, Kamalapur rail station will be modernized further. At present fourth line, third line and double line upgrade works are going on under 33 projects. We hope that four lines from Kamalapur Rail Station to Tongi and Dhaka-Chattogram double line communication will start from next year. The work of Jamuna Rail Bridge has been started. Besides, feasibility study has been completed for Munshiganj-Satkhira-Khulna rail line. There will be unthinkable changes in railway sector if the ongoing projects are completed. Currently people’s interest and reliance have increased on railway due to the development work and also the number of passengers has increased.
AH