BR to carry out FS on circular train service for Dhaka

[bluesky]

Circular train service for Dhaka
BR gets PC nod to carry out feasibility study
Munima Sultana | Published: February 04, 2018 12:46:54 | Updated: February 04, 2018 12:48:25

- FE file photo used for representation.

The Planning Commission (PC) has approved a Bangladesh Railway (BR) proposal for studying the feasibility of introducing circular train service in Dhaka.

The BR is willing to introduce circular trains in the capital to help ease traffic congestion on the city roads.

Officials said the PC approved the study project last month more than one and a half years after submission of the project proposal.

The feasibility study on the 81.9-km circular railway network in both elevated and surface track would cost around Tk 297 million.

However, sources said getting approval for the project was delayed as the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) and the BR were at odds over conducting the feasibility study.

The DTCA claims that the responsibility for conducting all feasibility studies concerning the STP-recommended transport options lies with it. But BR said it is the dedicated agency to conduct such survey. The PC's approval process was delayed because of the conflicting claims.

Officials said the BR after receiving the PC's nod will now give due importance to the project aiming to improve the city's traffic situation.

They said the study will find the best possible route covering areas by incorporating services with other mass transit systems including metro rails.

"There is no doubt that the city needs circular train services to facilitate cheap transports for commuters, but the same need to be synchronised with the metro rails and bus rapid transits," one of the officials said.

The BR has now rail track from Tongi to Narayanganj. It has planned to extend this rail route around the Dhaka city on circular base. The prefeasibility study proposed setting up the track from Kamalapur covering Purbachal Road, Terumukh, Abdullahpur, Dhour, Birulia, Gabtoli, Babubazar, Sadarghat, Fatulla, Chasara, Signboard and Demra.

According to the proposal, the circular train will facilitate passengers exit and entry of suburban people in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Savar and Munshiganj.

The track has been proposed to be set up using mainly flood protection dam and eastern bypass for lessening the cost of land acquisition.

 

[bluesky]

The BR has now rail track from Tongi to Narayanganj. It has planned to extend this rail route around the Dhaka city on circular base. The prefeasibility study proposed setting up the track from Kamalapur covering Purbachal Road, Terumukh, Abdullahpur, Dhour, Birulia, Gabtoli, Babubazar, Sadarghat, Fatulla, Chasara, Signboard and Demra.

According to the proposal, the circular train will facilitate passengers exit and entry of suburban people in Gazipur, Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Savar and Munshiganj.

The track has been proposed to be set up using mainly flood protection dam and eastern bypass for lessening the cost of land acquisition.

If BR itself does the feasibility study, then select the routes, construct the railway itself and administer the operation by its Deshi style, I do not expect any positive results. It is a huge project for which we just do not have enough trained and well-coordinated engineering and administrative manpower. BR needs the involvement of either Japanese or Chinese companies.

I have full endorsement of the idea of using flood protection dykes etc. as the route of this railway loop line. However, I will be watching what measures the BR team proposes to completely eliminate the tens of rail-road crossings. Unless eliminated, the crossings will cause more sufferings of the city people than it is now. I understand the proposed loop line is for commuter trains that may run every five minutes. So, no crossings should be allowed for easy communication of both the train and road passengers.

 

[Shorisrip]

Really good move, considering that we already have the metro coming, but the vision of looking to decrease even more congestion on the roads is welcomed by me. Although Chittagong has a circular Railway since couple years now, but so far it's not as effective as it should be.

 

[bluesky]

Although Chittagong has a circular Railway since couple years now, but so far it's not as effective as it should be.

Are the reasons for an ineffective Chittagong loop not because the train service has been made bad by our local system, the signaling system is ineffective and there are many rail-road crossings? The frequency of trains may not be high enough because of all these reasons.

So, I do not think BR has the knowledge, capability and the will force to make the Dhaka loop line effective. People in BD may not know the meaning of efficiency.

 

[Shorisrip]

Are the reasons for an ineffective Chittagong loop not because the train service has been made bad by our local system, the signaling system is ineffective and there are many rail-road crossings? The frequency of trains may not be high enough because of all these reasons.

So, I do not think BR has the knowledge, capability and the will force to make the Dhaka loop line effective. People in BD may not know the meaning of efficiency.

I mean it's not being utilized by the numbers of people it should be, and also the circular train needs to be cover more ground, and have better advertising (which it completely lacks at the moment). Even people who live in the city, don't know it exists.

 

[bluesky]

I am uploading the picture above to make the posters aware that BD people are unruly and are not systematic. This is why everything they try turns to something of a mishap. I would not blame the normal people. It is the government who should devise ways to get the country rid of menaces.

The same thing will happen when BR undertakes a large project like building a loop line of 45 km. I do not expect anything good will come out at the end, except chaos, delay, abnormal budget allocation and bribe taking. It would be better if the loop line project is undertaken by a group of private companies, who would build and operate, and pay taxes to the govt. Every developed country is following this formula.

 

[mb444]

I mean it's not being utilized by the numbers of people it should be, and also the circular train needs to be cover more ground, and have better advertising (which it completely lacks at the moment). Even people who live in the city, don't know it exists.

Is the service on it good. Have you used it.

Dhaka should look to Bangkok. It’s very similar I think. I have been to Bangkok since the early 80s from when I was a kid.

It’s congestion, flooding, auto rickshaws etc always gave the same feeling as Dhaka was back then and away from the primary arterial routes it retains similar features now.

public transport however has improved by miles. BD should emulate it or even better do it better then them. Bangkok still floods very much like Dhaka now, it’s roads are completely gridlocked like Dhaka now.... but there is one big difference people can still move around and get to places via a fairly efficient rail systems that are build effectively on stilts. I think both the metro system and the rail system has been elevated so whatever happens at the ground level, the city still operates.

 

[Shorisrip]

Is the service on it good. Have you used it.

Dhaka should look to Bangkok. It’s very similar I think. I have been to Bangkok since the early 80s from when I was a kid.

It’s congestion, flooding, auto rickshaws etc always gave the same feeling as Dhaka was back then and away from the primary arterial routes it retails similar features now.

public transport however has improved by miles. BD should emulate it or even better do it better then them. Bangkok still floods very much like Dhaka now, it’s roads are completely gridlocked like Dhaka now.... but there is one big difference people can still move around and get to places via a fairly efficient rail systems that are build effectively on stilts. I think both the metro system and the rail system has been elevated so whatever happens at the ground level, the city still operates.

I've been to the area, but haven't used it unfortunately. Honestly, most of our cities, especially smaller ones can be made better through better planning. Parts of Dhaka are very poorly planned, but recently its been getting better.

 

[bluesky]

I think there should be RCC sleepers/stilts and not the wooden ones. The photo above shows an efficient locking system between the rail lines and sleepers. Previously this system was not in BD. There has been improvements, no doubt. However, the train line should not be allowed to cross a road directly within the City limit. Either the road goes over the rail line, or the rail line goes over the road.

 

[TopCat]

Nobody ever talked about the core problem of Dhaka as it is choked by 3 rivers from 3 sides. So it cant expand and too many people are now living in a very tiny space. I will first build 10 birdges on each river 30 in total to give it a breathing space. Then there should be more roads which will allow those bridges to let Dhaka expand so it gets thinner.
Circular roads and others should be as usual but we need to address the bottle neck as well.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Circular rail service is good as it will lay new tracks and movements will be fast. Right now the existing rail tracks connecting Dhaka cant even handle overwhelming pressure of rail service to one of the closest industrial city Gazipur, often missing schedule and not frequent service as it should be. Dhaka can look for how Kolkata city works. Crores of people come to work in that city from outside everyday and move out by the end of the day through different transportation service. Dhaka's burden will be minimized if it can be decentralized from its south city centric behavior and by effectively utilizing surrounding areas effectively like Keraniganj, Narayanganj, Uttara, Purbachal, Savar, Gazipur.