Bangladesh has appointed a Chinese firm for conducting a feasibility study for a high-speed railway track connecting Dhaka and the commercial capital Chattogram (Chittagong).
Bangladesh Railway and a consortium of China Railway Design Corporation and local Mazumder Enterprise on Thursday signed an agreement in Dhaka.
The scheduled time to complete the work is 18 months and the government will bear the consultancy expenses of over Tk 1 billion, says a press release issued by the Railway.
The total distance of Dhaka-Chottagram is 320 kilometre, but it would come down to 230 kilometre according to the proposed route, Railway Minister Md Mujibul Haque said at the agreement signing ceremony.
The government is committed to the improvement of the rail sector and it has undertaken several new projects in this regard, he added.
BSS adds: The minister said the existing Dhaka-Chattogram 320-km rail link runs through Tongi, Bhairab, Akhaura, Cumilla and Feni and the proposed route will be reduced by 91 kilometers.
The high-speed train, however, will run on a special track through Dhaka-Chattogram via Cumilla/Laksham within two hours, the minister added.
Among others, Railways Secretary M Mofassel Hossian, Director General of Bangladesh Railways M Amjad Hossain and officials concerned were present.