Stakeholder consultation on electrifying N’ganj-Dhaka-Gazipur rail link concludes

The stakeholder consultation for electrifying the 50-kilometre Narayanganj-Dhaka-Joydebpur commuter rail corridor has successfully concluded, in a major step towards completing the project, said the European Union’s Dhaka mission on Sunday.

The successful end to stakeholder consultation marks “a major step forward for sustainable public transport in Bangladesh,” the mission said in a Facebook post.

The railway project would more than triple daily passenger capacity and trips on the commuter route, the busiest in Bangladesh, said the European Union, a key financier, in the social media post.

“This transformative #GlobalGateway initiative—co-funded by the European Union, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)—is Bangladesh’s very first railway electrification project,” it added.

“By modernising 50 kilometers of the country’s busiest commuter rail corridor, this landmark project will: Boost Capacity: Expand daily capacity from 232,000 to over 845,000 passenger journeys! Faster and More Frequent: Increase train services from 65 to 235 daily trips with 15-minute peak headways!  Greener Future: Replace diesel with clean electric power, significantly reducing emissions, noise, and air pollution across the Greater Dhaka Metropolitan Area,” the post further read.