Khulna-Mongla rail line project, which missed several completion deadlines, is now expected to be opened in July this year, according to project authorities. “96 percent of the construction of the 64.75-km railway line from Khulna to Mongla was completed in  December last year. More progress has been made in the last few months. The work of the entire project is expected to be completed by June this year. In July, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the railway line,” said project director Md Arifuzzaman. With the opening of the rail line, Mongla, the country's second largest seaport, will be brought under rail connectivity after 73 years of its establishment. It is expected to expedite the economic activities of the Mongla sea port. Mongla Port was established on December 1, 1950 in Bagerhat district in the southwestern part of the country. The port is located at the confluence of the Pashur River and the Mongla River, 48 kilometers south of Khulna city. According to project officials, the railway link between Khulna and the Mongla sea port is the need of the hour for transportation of goods. In order to ensure the ease of doing business, the government embarked on the railway project worth Tk 3,800 crore some seven years ago. The project work began in November 2016. Initially, the project was scheduled to be completed within May, 2020. Unfortunately, the project has experienced both time and cost overruns. With the opening of the rail service, trade and commerce with India, Nepal and Bhutan will be expanded. Due to the absence of a railway, there was a problem in transporting large containers of the port so far, said businessmen who use the port. Also Read: Khulna-Mongla rail link to be operational by December? The Khulna-Mongla railway project was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on December 21, 2010 but it work started in 2016. The project  is being implemented in three parts. Among them, package-1 rail line construction, package-2 rail bridge over Rupsa River and package-3 telecommunication and signaling system, said project officials. Under these projects, the length of the railway track, including the main line, is 86.87km. Of these, 64.75km is broad gauge railway. A 5.13-km rail bridge has been constructed on the Rupsha River. Around cent percent of the work on the bridge has already been completed. In addition, work on 31 small bridges has been completed. Of the 107 culverts, 105 have been completed. Construction of nine VUP's and 26 of the 29 LC gates have been completed, they said. Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali said once the project is implemented, there will be a radical changes in the trade and commerce and communication in the southern district. “After the establishment of Mongla port, there was no rail connectivity with the port. Now with the opening of Khulna-Mongla railway line, the pressure of transporting goods by road will be reduced. At the same time, the cost and time of transportation of goods will be reduced,” he said. “Besides, multiple communication system will be established in the port. As a result, trade with India, Nepal and Bhutan will be easier,” he added.    

Mentioning that the work on Chattogram-Dohazari-Cox's Bazar train route is going on in full swing, Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujon says the rail line will open within this year. Talking to UNB the minister says they are working to complete the project between June and July of this year. “Hopefully, we can finish the work by this time. And if the work is not completed in June for any reason, it may take one or two more months. Even then we will be able to travel to Cox's Bazar by train within this year,” he says. The minister says that 80 percent of the construction work of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar project has been completed, and the remaining 20 percent will be finished by this time. When completed, the 100-km new railway line from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar will ensure a 'pleasant and comfortable' journey, the minister says. Besides, it will bring a revolutionary change in overall economy and boost tourism in Cox's Bazar, he says. READ: Dhaka underground metro rail: Inauguration of construction work on February 2 The railway minister says that the services will run with high-quality coaches for tourists in Cox's Bazar. A new project has been taken to implement this, and 54 coaches will be purchased under this project, which is designed with wide windows. “Travelers will get a chance to enjoy the natural scenario very easily,” he says. According to the project, there are eight stations along the 100-km railway including at Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazara, Eidgaon, Ramu and Cox's Bazar Sadar. To facilitate this, three big bridges have been constructed on Sangu, Matamuhuri and Bakkhali rivers. Besides, 43 small bridges, 201 culverts and 144 level crossings have been constructed on the railway. A flyover is being constructed in Keochia area of Satkania, and two highway crossings in Ramu and Cox's Bazar areas. An overpass of 50 metres and three underpasses are being constructed for the movement of elephants and other wildlife. Mofizur Rahman, director of the project, said that more than 50-km of the railway line is now visible. Most of the construction of bridges and culverts has been completed. The remaining ones will be finished in the next few months. READ: Chattogram also to have metro rail service: Quader As of last December, the progress of the project is 80 percent. The project deadline is June 2024. “However, we are trying to complete the work by June-October 2023,” the official added. He also said that a spectacular iconic railway station is being constructed on 29 acres of land in the Hajipara area of Jhelongja Union, seven kilometers east-north of Cox's Bazar Sadar. The station is being modeled after a beach oyster. The area of the six-storey station building is 1,82,000 square feet. Three platforms of 650 metres in length and 12 meters in width are being constructed near the iconic building. Besides, a railway residential area has been built next to it. Eight buildings are nearing completion. Apart from residential hotels, the station also has facilities like canteen, lockers and car parking. Tourists can leave their luggage in the station lockers and spend the day at the beach. At least 46,000 people can travel through this station a day, the project director added. “A direct railway connection with Cox’s Bazar will change fortunes in the beach town as tourists always want to reach their destinations without hazards for their perfect vacation,” he said. READ: Metro rail operates upon electrical & mechanical system installed by L&T On April 3, 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of the railway between Dohazari-Ramu-Cox's Bazar and Ramu-Ghumdhum.  

The Rupsha Railway Bridge and the Khulna-Mongla port rail line will greatly facilitate the to and fro transportation of goods and the enhanced connectivity, says India. This will also facilitate accessibility to Mongla Port and will improve market access for local businesses including for agricultural produce of farmers in the region. It is also expected to positively impact tourism to prominent spots in the south-western part of Bangladesh, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Sunday. Rupsha Rail Bridge, part of the Khulna-Mongla port rail line project being taken up under the government of India Line of Credit (LOC) extended to the government of Bangladesh, was completed on June 25 this year. Also read:PM calls Padma Bridge a milestone to change the fate of people: PM

Bangladesh Railway Sunday signed contracts with two Sino-Bangla joint-venture companies for the construction of a rail line from Faridpur's Madhukhali to Magura town. The project will build a 19.90 km main line at the cost of Tk1,202.49 crore. Project Director Ashadul Haque and contracting organisation representatives Liu Xue Bing and Tang signed the agreements in the capital. When the project is completed, Magura, a southwestern district, will come under the railway network. It will also connect the southwestern part of the country with Dhaka city through the Padma bridge. Speaking at the programme, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, "The right kind of development cannot take place in a country that does not have an integrated communication system." "The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, construction of a separate railway bridge across the River Jamuna, construction of a new railway line from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar and rail link at Mongla Port are among the many projects that are underway now."