Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the new budget in parliament on Thursday.
Of the total allocation, Tk 3,664 crore was proposed for operating expenditure and Tk 12,599 crore for development.
“The present government is attaching a top priority to the railway sector in order to make railway an economical, safe and environment-friendly mode of transport,” the Finance Minister said.
For the overall development of railway, he said, the government has undertaken a 30-year master plan spanning from 2016 to 2045 at a cost of Tk. 5,53,662 crore.
“As many as 230 projects have been identified under this plan for implementation by 2045. I express my firm belief that implementation of the projects undertaken to develop the railway transportation system will ease the public transport, largely reduce transport costs, expand business and commerce, create new employment opportunity and improve the socio-economic condition of the people.”
Mustafa Kamal said activities, such as expansion of the railway service, construction of new railway lines and rehabilitation of rail tracks, conversion of rail line into Dual Gauge, opening of new rail stations and reopening of closed stations, launching of new trains, improving the quality of railway services and procurement of train coaches are underway.
He said steps have been taken to construct 1,110.50 km dual gauge double rail track (km) and 52 new rail track (km), procure 100 locomotives, construct 2 ICDs, procure locomotive simulators, construct 3 major bridges, procure 1,120 passenger coaches, modernize/construct 3 railway workshops, and modernize the signaling system under various development projects.
“The introduction of e-ticketing has not only eased railway travel for passengers, but also made it possible for them to easily learn the location of trains. The feasibility study to construct Dhaka-Chattogram high speed trains is in progress,” the minister added.