Govt revives Dhaka-CTG chord line to reduce 90km distance

CHATTOGRAM July 16:  The government has revived its previous initiative to construct a new chord line on the Dhaka-Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chattogram railway route aiming at reducing the overall distance by around 90 kilometres (km) between two major cities. 

The move was disclosed by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury while presenting the national budget proposal for the 2026-27 financial year in the parliament.

Oriental Consultants Global (OCG) consortium, alongside France's Egis and Malaysia's HSS is currently updating the feasibility study and detailed design for a new Dhaka-Chattogram railway chord line, said Project Director Engineer Abidur Rahman. 

The feasibility study and preparation of DPP of the project will be completed by June next. 

The proposed 231�"236km track route via Narayanganj and Cumilla is aimed at radically slashing travel time and distance. The feasibility study for the project has finalised a route from Shyampur in Narayanganj to Cumilla among three proposed alignments.

The most favoured alignment (provisionally selected starting from Shyampur in Dhaka) will connect to Cumilla via Narayanganj. 

The new chord line will cut the current 320�"321km route by over 80-90km. 

Travel times are expected to reduce by nearly three hours, dropping the journey from the current  six hours down to about 3.5 hours.

Feasibility studies are progressing rapidly, and following their conclusion, the government aims at establishing a dedicated, high-capacity line to boost both commercial and passenger transits.

The appointed consortium of Japan's OCG, France's EGIS and Malaysia's HSS started the study for the project in February in 2024.

Bangladesh Railway (BR) appointed the consortium to carry out the feasibility study and detailed design for building a new line from Dhaka to Cumilla via Narayanganj on February 14, the same year. The consortium will carry out the feasibility studies and prepare detailed designs of the chord line at Tk 193.64 crore.

Meanwhile, the construction of a chord line in Dhaka-Chattogram rail route via Narayanganj to Cumilla was taken in 2010. But due to unknown reason, the BR suddenly stopped the project.

The BR had also carried out a feasibility study for the project in 2010.

Presently, the trains run on 320 km Dhaka-Chattogram rail line, which goes through Tongi-Bhairab-Akhaura-Cumillah-Laksham.

Once the new chord line is built, it could be used as a dedicated line for passengers, with the existing line reserved for freight service. 

The main station of the proposed chord line will be at Narayanganj with a depot for the rail cars. The other stations will be at Cumilla, Feni, and Chattogram. Rail bridges will be constructed on the Shitalakshya River in Narayanganj, Gomti, Meghna, and Feni river routes.

BR sources said the rail route will be extended up to Cox's Bazar.