A much awaited rail line nearing completion
Construction of Bhuapur Rail Station in Tangail heading towards completion as 36-kilometre rail track on Bangabandhu Bridge-Tarakandi route is scheduled to be open for train communication in May.Photo: STAR
The construction of 36-kilometre rail line on Bangabandhu Bridge-Tarakandi route through Kalihati, Bhuapur and Gopalpur upazilas in Tangail district is nearing completion, much to the happiness of people in the northern region and six districts of greater Mymensingh area. Started in 2000, the rail link project aims mostly at ensuring smooth fertiliser transportation to the districts from the country's highest urea producing Jamuna Fertiliser Company Limited in Tarakandi upazila of Jamalpur. The new rail link will also help easy and cheap transportation of people and goods in the districts. Cost for the rail link project, including construction of 52 bridges and culverts and other infrastructures like three rail stations, was initially estimated at Tk 112 crore. But the work was temporarily suspended in 2001. After resumption of work in 2003, the project cost was re-estimated at Tk 167 crore. Although the project was supposed to complete within the next two years, the work was suspended again for different reasons including lack of fund, sources said. Finally, a meeting of the ECNEC in 2008 decided to extend the project time for the next two years and raise the allocation to Tk 216 crore. During a recent visit to the project area, this correspondent saw that the construction of bridges and culverts are already complete and the work of setting slippers and stones on the rail track and construction of other infrastructures including the rail stations at Bhuapur, Hemnagar and Baroipara is going on in full swing. The construction of staff quarters, godowns and boundary walls has almost completed. The work of setting slippers and stones on the rail tracks will be completed within this month and the new rail link will start operation within May, said Mamunul Islam, executive engineer of the project.
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