China offers to bankroll Chattogram metro rail, ‘smart city’. In return, it wants part of township profits

[bluesky]

 

[bluesky]

চীনের প্রস্তাব প্রধানমন্ত্রীর দপ্তরে পাঠানোর সুপারিশ

চট্টগ্রাম নগরীতে নিজস্ব অর্থায়নে মেট্রোরেল তৈরি করে দেয়ার বিনিময়ে চীন সমুদ্র উপকূলে স্মার্ট সিটি গড়ে তোলার যে প্রস্তাব দিয়েছে তা প্রধানমন্ত্রীর দপ্তরে পাঠানোর সুপারিশ করেছে গৃহায়ণ ও গণপূর্ত মন্ত্রণালয়– সম্পর্কিত সংসদীয় স্থায়ী কমিটি। মঙ্গলবার জাতীয় সংসদ ভবনে অনুষ্ঠিত গৃহায়ণ ও গণপূর্ত মন্ত্রণালয়...

mzamin.com

 

[Bilal9]

Chittagong's population is about 7 Million compared to Dhaka's 22 Million and population density and traffic pressure is say, half that of Dhaka. Someone will most vehemently disagree with me for saying this, but Chittagong has no need for a Metro right now. They might start planning for one and can finish in another five years, though, which will be ahead of the game.

It's more regional politics than anything else.

It's like India's Jaipur or even smaller towns in India needing a metro. I mean, really?

Now I can get Dhaka and Lahore needing one for sure. And definitely Karachi.

 

[rainbowrascal]

Chittagong's population is about 7 Million compared to Dhaka's 22 Million and population density and traffic pressure is say, half that of Dhaka. Someone will most vehemently disagree with me for saying this, but Chittagong has no need for a Metro right now. They might start planning for one and can finish in another five years, though, which will be ahead of the game.

It's more regional politics than anything else.

It's like India's Jaipur or even smaller towns in India needing a metro. I mean, really?

Now I can get Dhaka and Lahore needing one for sure. And definitely Karachi.

I respectfully disagree with you.
You said Dhaka has 22mn people thus metro is feasible. There are currently 6 lines being planned in Dhaka. In average 1 line will be for 3.66mn people.
In that case there should be at least 2 lines in Chittagong for 7mn people.

Even if we take aside this logic, planned metro routes in Chittagong can be same level or more successful than Dhaka routes. I believe initially 1 line will be focused in Chittagong (Airport - Rail station). Although i do have concern for the cost. But if china is offering to bear the cost for township we should absolutely grab the deal, of course any deal should be avoided if there are Sri Lankan like clauses. Hope you understand my point of view.

 

[bluesky]

Chittagong's population is about 7 Million compared to Dhaka's 22 Million and population density and traffic pressure is say, half that of Dhaka. Someone will most vehemently disagree with me for saying this, but Chittagong has no need for a Metro right now. They might start planning for one and can finish in another five years, though, which will be ahead of the game.

Regional politics notwithstanding, 7 million is also a big population to build new metro lines because when lines are finally built five years later, the population will rise to 9 million or more.

Better we think ahead of time.

 

[rainbowrascal]

Regional politics notwithstanding, 7 million is also a big population to build new metro lines because when lines are finally built five years later, the population will rise to 9 million or more.

Better we think ahead of time.

Chittagong had a population of 8.7mn in 2017. I think it's 10mn+ in 2022

 

[lcloo]

You don't need more than 10 million population to have a metroline.

In Malaysia, Greater Kuala Lumpur aka Klang Valley, is an area comprising of about 8 million population ( in more than 8 cities and townships), and we have built 10 metrolines in operations at present, and more will be added in the next few years.

 

[Bilal9]

You don't need more than 10 million population to have a metroline.

In Malaysia, Greater Kuala Lumpur aka Klang Valley, is an area comprising of about 8 million population ( in more than 8 cities and townships), and we have built 10 metrolines in operations at present, and more will be added in the next few years.

View attachment 817852

Dhaka's metro stations look pretty similar to new ones at KL. I mean the stations themselves, not the surrounding infra in crowded locations for parking etc. In non-crowded areas, very similar. I don't know if it was the same design consultants. There are two designs, both shown below.

A video of the "Iconic station" here,

One more showing both types of stations, "plain" and "iconic".

The interior of one of the stations (Uttara South),

 

[damiendehorn2]

What if you don't get profits? Will BD has to surrender the Smart City to China?

No because Bangladesh is not taking any loans to develop it. Its a project that the Chinese want to fully fund and to take at their risk.

 

[SuvarnaTeja]

No because Bangladesh is not taking any loans to develop it. Its a project that the Chinese want to fully fund and to take at their risk.

Sounds like a great deal.

 

[lcloo]

Metrolines help to lessen the severity of city traffic jams. When more people take trains instead of driving, motor vehicle fume pollution will be cut down. Yellowish air above the cities will be lesss seen and lung health problems and health cost to the government will also be down.

But bear in mind that metrolines may not be making profits because many governments view it as a neccesity public transport for the people's interests. The ticket prices are normally controlled at low prices by the authority so as not to burden the public. Thus subsidies from government to help cut down operation losses is no uncommon.

 

[bluesky]

Life in Dhaka will change dramatically after even one line starts operation. Five will make Dhaka a very convenient and beautiful City.

I believe, once five lines are built, many other lines also will be built in the next fifty years. Users living a little far away from a(ny) station would use the bus service to reach the nearest station and then to his destination station.

I will be waiting for the govt response about the Chinese proposal on the Chittagong Metro Rail system. These lines also will change the face of Chittagong City.

More local and foreign tourists would be visiting Chittagong and from there to the nearby tourist spots.

 

[Bilal9]

Metrolines help to lessen the severity of city traffic jams. When more people take trains instead of driving, motor vehicle fume pollution will be cut down. Yellowish air above the cities will be lesss seen and lung health problems and health cost to the government will also be down.

But bear in mind that metrolines may not be making profits because many governments view it as a neccesity public transport for the people's interests. The ticket prices are normally controlled at low prices by the authority so as not to burden the public. Thus subsidies from government to help cut down operation losses is no uncommon.

Well this is the case historically everywhere (subsidized public transport), even Japan, which was an early (before WWII) public transport and Electric Metro rail implementer/proponent. Profitability is not the goal, public convenience and quality of life is.

There are public/private partnership companies in Japan running specific sections of metros and commuter railways. Maybe @bluesky bhai knows details.

Japanese public transport practices have been successful and have been adopted by majority of ASEAN countries as well as China and Korea.

 

[bluesky]

Japanese public transport practices have been successful and have been adopted by majority of ASEAN countries as well as China and Korea.

Below is a Tokyo train line map. Not an updated one, but a 2012 map. Only yesterday, I rode a Subway of which I was not aware.
When taking trains in the morning I was just speculating in my mind how wonderful it would be if I could go to my destination directly without changing trains.

When I was coming back in the evening, I found the train destination is Wakoshi, only one station away from my station. I was quite surprised by this. I dreamt in the morning and the dream came true in the evening of the same day.

So, there are some other new Subways that I am not yet aware of. Tokyo City is full of underground tunnels. Japan opened its first Subway in 1927, Ginza Line. The tunnel is zigzag and narrow because Japan had no experience building a Subway. Now Tokyo is full of Subways, all built by Japanese companies including the first one.

Tokyo Train Map: The Complete Guide to Tokyo Subways & Railways

Tokyo Train Map: The Complete Guide to Tokyo Subways & Railways​

Looking at a Tokyo railway map and the city's train and subway system can seem like looking at a messy ball of yarn! It's a complicated web of JR East and other private railway companies, plus subways, that intertwines seemingly endlessly, making it hard to understand for anyone who's not a local.

 

[Bilal9]

Below is a Tokyo train line map. Not an updated one, but a 2012 map. Only yesterday, I rode a Subway of which I was not aware.
When taking trains in the morning I was just speculating in my mind how wonderful it would be if I could go to my destination directly without changing trains.

When I was coming back in the evening, I found the train destination is Wakoshi, only one station away from my station. I was quite surprised by this. I dreamt in the morning and the dream came true in the evening of the same day.

So, there are some other new Subways that I am not yet aware of. Tokyo City is full of underground tunnels. Japan opened its first Subway in 1927, Ginza Line. The tunnel is zigzag and narrow because Japan had no experience building a Subway. Now Tokyo is full of Subways, all built by Japanese companies including the first one.

Tokyo Train Map: The Complete Guide to Tokyo Subways & Railways

Tokyo Train Map: The Complete Guide to Tokyo Subways & Railways​

Looking at a Tokyo railway map and the city's train and subway system can seem like looking at a messy ball of yarn! It's a complicated web of JR East and other private railway companies, plus subways, that intertwines seemingly endlessly, making it hard to understand for anyone who's not a local.

I am guessing Tokyo in total has more than two dozen lines at this time. With interchanges of course.

My first visit to Tokyo was a revelation. Underneath the main streets and before you went down three four stories downstairs to the subways was a whole other network of underground malls and pathways, all squeaky clean. There is no way to tell these exist if one stands on the streets. Talking about the world trade center area.

Tokyo is a wonderful example of how to commercialize the area around the subway and metro stations.