Editorial
Pending railway projects
Upgrade Dhaka-Chittagong route
The importance of railway communications between Dhaka-Chittagong needs hardly any elaboration. But three major projects launched, four to five years ago to modernize the Dhaka-Chittagong rail link, hardly moved forward. The projects are: Tongi-Bhairab bazaar double line, Laksam-Chinki Astana double line and Akhaura-Laksam double line.
The ambitious plan includes, upgrading the 196-kilometer single track of the 320-kilometer route to double track, rehabilitating the existing tracks, improving signaling system and modernizing the stations.
The projects undoubtedly touch all areas that need to be improved to establish a better communications facility between the two important cities. Especially the plan to introduce double-line track replacing the current single-line track is a pragmatic decision. Single-line tracks have long been a hindrance to smooth running of trains resulting in delays of arrival and departure of passenger and cargo trains and also causing accidents along the track and even at stations.
The government and its funding agency the Asian Development Bank have to coordinate more to execute the projects. Although the ADB gave a 100 million dollar, half of the total estimated cost of the project, as loan for the project in April 2007, the money remains unused. This delay has pushed up the project cost by Tk.250 crore.
A long time elapsed since the tendering process and technical evaluation started in December 2007 but abandoned in September 2009. A fresh tender was floated in April 2010 and awaiting decision of the concerned.
We like to point out that such essential projects should have received utmost consideration of the parties involved in implementing them. The government should in all earnest speed up the work process and get on with development work without any further delay.
Belated actions not only push up the cost of projects it also delay advancement of a vital communications link causing considerable loss to commuters and businesses.
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