Country’s First electric railway project takes shape

A major step towards launching Bangladesh's first railway electrification project on the Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur commuter corridor has been taken, with a stakeholder consultation on the proposed project completed, according to a statement shared by the European Union in Bangladesh on its verified Facebook page.

The project aims to modernise the 50-kilometre railway corridor and replace diesel-powered trains with electric rolling stock, significantly increasing passenger capacity while providing cleaner and more efficient transport.

Funded jointly by the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Global Gateway initiative, the project will electrify and modernise the existing railway network connecting Narayanganj, Dhaka and Joydebpur.

Once implemented, daily passenger capacity on the corridor is expected to rise from 232,000 to more than 845,000 journeys, according to the statement.

The number of daily train services is also projected to increase from 65 to 235, reducing waiting times and enabling trains to operate at 15-minute intervals during peak hours.

The electrification programme will replace diesel-powered trains with electric rolling stock, which is expected to reduce carbon emissions, noise and air pollution across the greater Dhaka metropolitan area.

Representatives from the Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railway, development partners, academics and other stakeholders participated in the consultation, the statement said.

The project is expected to transform the busy commuter corridor by expanding passenger capacity and providing more frequent, cleaner train services.