Bangladesh Railway has
constructed a new railway line from Ishwardi to Dhalarchar through Pabna,
costing over BDT 17.14 billion. The 79-kilometer rail route, entirely financed
by the government, was completed in June 2019. The main reason for
constructing the Ishwardi-Dhalarchar railway line was to boost railway revenue.
In addition, facilitating trade and industry growth in the associated areas,
connecting the capital with the northern-southern regions, and setting up new
and alternative rail routes for the Trans-Asian Railway and regional
connectivity. Despite significant financial investment, currently, only one
train is operated on this rail route on a daily basis.
The train called
Dhalarchar Express-779 departs from Dhalarchar at 7:25am and reaches Rajshahi
at 11:00am. The same train (Dhalarchar Express-779) leaves Rajshahi at 4:00 PM
and arrives in Dhalarchar at 8:15 PM the same day. This train runs six days a
week.
According to railway
information, the project titled "Construction of a new railway line from
Ishwardi to Dhalarchar through Pabna" was approved by the Executive
Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its meeting on October 5,
2010. Initially, the construction cost of the railway line was estimated at BDT
9.83 billion. The project was scheduled from June 2010 to June 2015, but due to
prolonged construction delays, the deadline and cost were revised multiple
times. The total expenditure for completing the project amounted to BDT 17.14 billion.
Communication experts
are saying that despite significant investment, running only one train on this
railway results in a waste of the nation's finances. Explaining this to Bonik
Barta, Dr. Hadiuzzaman, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), says, "The
primary purpose of this type of investment is twofold. The first is passenger
service, and the second is revenue. The question arises as to how much
passenger service is provided in the region by operating only one train per day
and how well passenger demand is being met. Were passenger demands adequately
assessed before constructing the railway?"
"The construction
of this railway has led to a significant expenditure of BDT 17.14 billion. This
is a one-time investment. Besides this, the railway currently expends funds on
daily operations including station management, railway maintenance, and running
trains. Whether one train or more is operated, the operational cost should stay
relatively consistent. Despite such a substantial investment, it's not just the
lack of revenue generation from the railway that's concerning. In one word, I
would say this is a national financial waste," says the expert professor.
The operation of the
Dhalarchar Express train on the Ishwardi-Dhalarchar railway route commenced in
January 2020. However, despite more than three years passing, Bangladesh
Railway has not been able to introduce any new train service on this route.
Officials of the organization have attributed this to a shortage of staff. When
asked, the Director-General of Bangladesh Railway Kamrul Ahsan told Bonik Barta,
"There is a shortage of personnel on the railways, which hampers our
ability to expand our operational activities on various routes. However, the
recruitment process for the necessary staff is ongoing. Once we have adequate personnel,
we will be able to launch new train services on the Ishwardi-Dhalarchar
route."
On the other hand,
after assuming office, President Mohammad Sahabuddin announced the operation of
a direct train from Dhaka to Pabna during his Pabna visit on May 16.
Subsequently, on September 27, he discussed the matter with journalists at the
Pabna Circuit House. He says, "The decision to start the train service has
been forwarded to the Prime Minister's office for final approval. The Prime
Minister is considering the matter. He has instructed the railway authorities
to thoroughly evaluate the matter. There are certain issues in terms of the
railway's profit and passengers' convenience in starting the train. The railway
authorities are assessing these issues."
Railway officials have
shared that a proposal to initiate a direct train service between Dhaka and
Pabna has been sent from Bangladesh Railway to the Ministry of Railways. The
proposal suggests running a direct train from Pabna to Dhalarchar to Rajbari
and, subsequently, connecting with Dhaka via the Padma Bridge. They have
informed us that the matter will be finalized by the highest level of the
government.
The railway is planning
to run two new train services from Dhaka over the Padma Bridge in November.
Bangladesh Railway's Operations Division has informed that they have plans to
operate two trains, namely the Sundarban Express on the Dhaka-Khulna route and
the Benapole Express on the Dhaka-Jashore route over the Padma Bridge. Currently,
these trains are running from Dhaka to Tongi, Joydevpur, Bangabandhu Bridge,
and Ishwardi, using the Hardinge Bridge route. When the Padma Bridge becomes
operational, the two train services will follow a new route from Kamalapur to
Gandaria, Keraniganj, Sirajdikhan, Shreenagar, Maowa, Bhangha, and finally
reach Khulna and Jashore via Rajbari. The Madhumati Express train, which
currently operates from Rajshahi to Bhangha, is being prepared to run on the
Padma Bridge route up to Dhaka. However, it hasn't been confirmed when the
commercial operations will commence. Railway officials have indicated that
commercial operations may begin in the next two weeks or towards the beginning
of November. However, as of now, there is no immediate plan to start direct
train services from Dhaka to Pabna, as per the railway authorities.
Translated by : Kanchan Kumar Nath
