Govt undertakes Tk2,028cr railway rehabilitation project to modernise western zone rail network

The government has undertaken a big initiative to rehabilitate and maintain critical railway infrastructures in Bangladesh Railway's western zone to ensure safer and faster train movement, improve passenger and freight services, and strengthen regional rail connectivity.

A project titled "Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Railway Tracks in the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway (1st Phase)" has been undertaken following approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its last meeting with an estimated cost of Tk2,028.59 crore, to be entirely financed from the government's own resources (GoB).

Talking to BSS, a senior official of the Planning Commission said that the Ministry of Railways will implement the project through Bangladesh Railway over a five-year period by 28 February 2031.

The official said the project has been designed with three key objectives: ensuring safe train operations at designated speeds, enhancing the quality of passenger and freight transport services, and reducing long-term maintenance costs of railway infrastructure.

"The initiative comes against the backdrop of growing operational pressure and ageing infrastructure across the western railway network, which serves as a crucial transport corridor linking the country's northern and southern regions with the capital," added the official.

Talking to BSS, Member (Secretary), Programming Division of the Planning Commission, SM Shakil Akhter said that this was a time-befitting initiative from the Ministry of Railways to modernize, rehabilitate and conduct maintenance of the railway track in the western zone.

He said since the Bangladesh Railway still lacks modern locomotives, coaches and carriages, the Ministry of Railways has been asked in the last ECNEC meeting to come up with new schemes to procure locomotives, coaches and carriages to keep pace with the growing demand.   

Bangladesh Railway's western zone currently comprises 1,930.88 route kilometres of rail line and 2,505.50 track kilometres, handling regular passenger and freight train movement.

However, many sections of the network were originally built using rails installed in 1930, 1943, 1968 and 1969, leaving large stretches vulnerable to deterioration.

The deterioration rate of rails in several sections has risen to 12–15%, resulting in frequent incidents such as track cracks, welding joint failures and rail breakages, all of which pose increasing risks to safe train operations.

The Planning Commission official said the condition of railway sleepers and ballast has also emerged as a major concern. Around 25–30% of sleepers in several sections are either damaged or no longer functional, while shortages of ballast — the crushed stone layer essential for maintaining track stability and alignment — have weakened track balance and gauge protection, increasing accident risks.

In some sections, including the Saidpur–Joydebpur corridor, railway lines rehabilitated with older materials in the early 2000s are now operating beyond sectional capacity due to increased train movement.

"As a result, the effectiveness of rails, sleepers and fittings has declined rapidly, forcing railway authorities to impose speed restrictions in many areas and adversely affecting service quality,"

Under the scheme, 21.492 kilometres of railway track from Bhabanipur to MGMCL will undergo maintenance and rehabilitation, while 500.2 kilometres of railway lines will receive routine maintenance works.

Additionally, 43.90 kilometres of track will undergo full rehabilitation aimed at improving operational reliability and safety standards.

The first phase will prioritise railway sections considered strategically important for operational continuity and freight movement, including Joydebpur–Ibrahimabad, Soydabad–Ishwardi Bypass, Ishwardi Bypass–Malonchi, Bheramara–Ishwardi Bypass, Malonchi–Sahagola, Sahagola–Santahar, Santahar–Joypurhat, Joypurhat–Birampur, Birampur–Parbatipur, Abdulpur–Rajshahi Court, and Bhabanipur–Madhyapara.

The project area spans multiple districts across Rajshahi, Rangpur and Khulna divisions, including Sirajganj, Pabna, Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura, Joypurhat, Dinajpur, Nilphamari and Kushtia.

Beyond domestic transport improvements, the project is expected to play an important role in strengthening regional rail connectivity. Bangladesh Railway's western zone serves as a gateway for freight movement through major land ports such as Benapole, Darshana, Rohanpur, Birol and Chilahati, which regularly handle heavy cargo, including stones and boulders.

Officials said successful implementation of the project would facilitate smoother international rail-based passenger and freight movement with neighbouring countries, particularly India, Nepal and Bhutan, while supporting broader regional integration initiatives.

The project is also expected to complement regional connectivity frameworks such as the Trans-Asian Railway Network (TAR), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Forum, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) initiative.

A feasibility study for the project has already been completed by the Infrastructure Investment Facilitation Company (IIFC).