14 years on, Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur rail project still unfinished

The Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur rail expansion project, started in 2012 with a schedule of completion in three years, has not been completed yet after 14 years due to redesigning, scope extension and financing delays.

Cost of the project has increased from Tk 848 crore to Tk 3,342.55 crore, a 294% increase. The scope of the project has increased from 71 to 137.94 track km.

Deadline extensions have been sought on several occasions and presently it is till June 2027. Bangladesh Railway plans to seek a further extension of two years as more time is required for completing the rest of the works.

Physical progress in the project stands at 53.67%. Work has been done on 55.5 kilometers of railway track, 53.5 kilometers of formation, two station buildings, two large bridges and 19 small bridges.

Construction of the project has been delayed for several times due to financing issues. It took 22 months for getting approval for the variation proposal of India's Exim Bank. Delays in getting extension of the deadline for loan disbursement created problems for making payments to the contractors.

When the project is completed, the capacity for trains per day would be increased to 250 on Dhaka-Tongi and 90 on Tongi-Joydebpur segments compared to the present figure of 112 and 44 respectively.

According to Bangladesh Railway Director, General Md. Afzal Hossain, an additional two years are required for completing the project; otherwise, the project might have to be shut down unfinished.

-AJM