Dhaka-Cumilla elevated rail line planned

An 81-kilometre elevated railway line from Shyampur to Cumilla is being planned to reduce the Dhaka-Chattogram rail journey by up to two hours, with an estimated initial cost of Tk 83,901 crore.

Railway authorities are considering building the entire line on elevated structures to reduce land use, according to Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman, who spoke to journalists at a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Railways submitted the proposal to the ministry concerned on October 5. However, the final decision on whether the entire route will be elevated rests with the highest level of government, he said.

Construction is expected to take four years after land acquisition is completed, Zahed added.

Building the entire line on elevated structures would save around 322 acres of land. A mixed design using earthen embankments and elevated structures would cost about Tk 73,577 crore, while the fully elevated option would require an additional Tk 10,324 crore.

The proposed line will be a double-track broad-gauge railway designed to accommodate electric trains in the future. It will have a capacity of 25 tonnes per axle, a design speed of 160 kilometres per hour and a maximum operating speed of 140 kilometres per hour.