Feasibility study for Chattogram metro rail begins.

[Homo Sapiens]

Feasibility study for Chattogram metro rail begins​

Feasibility study for Ctg metro rail and transport master plan begins

The feasibility study will run from January 2023 to June 2025 at a cost of Tk70.63 crore

www.tbsnews.net

File photo

A feasibility study on Chattogram's first metro rail project, which was proposed to mitigate the port city's infamous traffic congestion, commenced on Tuesday (31 January).

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader made the disclosure virtually joining the project's launching ceremony at Hotel Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View.

Photo: TBS

The minister said, "Chattogram, also the commercial capital, is the heart of the country's economy. There is no doubt the city will have its own metro rail. Today marks a memorable day in the port city's history as the first step is taken towards implementing this dream project."

The total feasibility study cost of the project, to be carried out between 2023-25, is estimated at Tk70,62,58,000, according to Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). Of this, the Bangladesh government will finance over Tk13.62 crore and the Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), will invest around Tk57 crore.

Under this project, a transportation master plan, including an environment-friendly urban metro system, will be formulated to improve quality of life for the port city dwellers.


The project also aims to improve traffic management by key authorities including Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
Earlier in January last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to build the metro rail from the Shah Amanat International Airport to the Chattogram Railway Station in the port city.

Later, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project's feasibility study proposal made by DTCA to be conducted between January 2023 and June 2025.

Under the chairmanship of Roads and Highways Department Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori, Information Minister Dr Hashan Mahmud, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, CDA Chairman Zahirul Alam Dubhash, Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang Keun, a few secretaries from the ministry and other senior officials attended the event.

 

[Tom-tom]

Feasibility study for Chattogram metro rail begins​

Feasibility study for Ctg metro rail and transport master plan begins

The feasibility study will run from January 2023 to June 2025 at a cost of Tk70.63 crore

www.tbsnews.net

File photo

A feasibility study on Chattogram's first metro rail project, which was proposed to mitigate the port city's infamous traffic congestion, commenced on Tuesday (31 January).

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader made the disclosure virtually joining the project's launching ceremony at Hotel Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View.

Photo: TBS

The minister said, "Chattogram, also the commercial capital, is the heart of the country's economy. There is no doubt the city will have its own metro rail. Today marks a memorable day in the port city's history as the first step is taken towards implementing this dream project."

The total feasibility study cost of the project, to be carried out between 2023-25, is estimated at Tk70,62,58,000, according to Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). Of this, the Bangladesh government will finance over Tk13.62 crore and the Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), will invest around Tk57 crore.

Under this project, a transportation master plan, including an environment-friendly urban metro system, will be formulated to improve quality of life for the port city dwellers.


The project also aims to improve traffic management by key authorities including Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA).
Earlier in January last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the authorities concerned to build the metro rail from the Shah Amanat International Airport to the Chattogram Railway Station in the port city.

Later, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project's feasibility study proposal made by DTCA to be conducted between January 2023 and June 2025.

Under the chairmanship of Roads and Highways Department Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori, Information Minister Dr Hashan Mahmud, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor M Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, CDA Chairman Zahirul Alam Dubhash, Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang Keun, a few secretaries from the ministry and other senior officials attended the event.

It will pay dividends indeed. Just need proper planning, so ppl and business and commuters can properly utilise this.

 

[UKBengali]

We need to aim to get the first line up and running before 2030.

Can anyone with more knowledge give an idea how many lines Chattogram will need?

Looking at the map below, maybe 3 could suffice - 1 North to South going down to the airport, 1 West to East and the last West to NorthEast.

 

[AmiEktaKharapChele]

We need to aim to get the first line up and running before 2030.

Can anyone with more knowledge give an idea how many lines Chattogram will need?

Looking at the map below, maybe 3 could suffice - 1 North to South going down to the airport, 1 West to East and the last West to NorthEast.

Two lines should suffice with one of them having at end point at the airport, this particular line might be quite expensive to build because the airport is quite some ways off from the "city proper" and from what I've seen travelling to the airport just last month, there isn't really much underdeveloped land the government can quickly acquire...


As for the other line, one from west to east through GEC Moor and Khulshi will be enough...



Although there again this will be impossible because GEC Moor (the main commercial area) is occupied by a huge flyover that goes nowhere really..



I have a good feeling this project will either be slated for later or take longer to complete than the list Dhaka metro line took.

 

[Shorisrip]

Two lines should suffice with one of them having at end point at the airport, this particular line might be quite expensive to build because the airport is quite some ways off from the "city proper" and from what I've seen travelling to the airport just last month, there isn't really must underdeveloped land the government can quickly acquire...


As for the other line, one from west to east through GEC Moor and Khulshi will be enough...



Although there again this will be impossible because GEC Moor (the main commercial area) is occupied by a huge flyover that goes nowhere really..



I have a good feeling this project will either be slated for later or take longer to complete than the list Dhaka metro line took.

Have you ever used the circular railway? None of my relatives seem to know about it and I've never seen it in person.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Two lines should suffice with one of them having at end point at the airport, this particular line might be quite expensive to build because the airport is quite some ways off from the "city proper" and from what I've seen travelling to the airport just last month, there isn't really must underdeveloped land the government can quickly acquire...


As for the other line, one from west to east through GEC Moor and Khulshi will be enough...



Although there again this will be impossible because GEC Moor (the main commercial area) is occupied by a huge flyover that goes nowhere really..



I have a good feeling this project will either be slated for later or take longer to complete than the list Dhaka metro line took.

Chattogram MRT 1st line most likely would be subway due to flyover, lack of land and other issues I have read in other news articles.

 

[AmiEktaKharapChele]

Have you ever used the circular railway? None of my relatives seem to know about it and I've never seen it in person.

Nope, nobody in my extended family has ever mentioned it either, I actually found out about it online three years ago...


A good idea in theory but I'm sure, like with every half arsed initiative in Bangladesh, it's a joke.

Chattogram MRT 1st line most likely would be subway due to flyover, lack of land and other issues I have read in other news articles.

Sounds about right, wonder if it costs more than a overhead metro

 

[Bilal9]

Two lines should suffice with one of them having at end point at the airport, this particular line might be quite expensive to build because the airport is quite some ways off from the "city proper" and from what I've seen travelling to the airport just last month, there isn't really much underdeveloped land the government can quickly acquire...


As for the other line, one from west to east through GEC Moor and Khulshi will be enough...



Although there again this will be impossible because GEC Moor (the main commercial area) is occupied by a huge flyover that goes nowhere really..



I have a good feeling this project will either be slated for later or take longer to complete than the list Dhaka metro line took.

Whatever they do - Govt. should keep room for expansion for future lines and buy land in advance before price goes up.

Of course govt. has sovereign rights on land and private buyers won't get very far trying to make money from the govt. Govt. can make their lives and businesses extremely uncomfortable for sure.

In the US, they have projection of how many cars will be on the roads 10, 20, 30 years from now and also the educational and financial backgrounds of city dwellers in every "mahalla" (subdivision). They know how many cars every family owns and whether and at what point they will start using public transport (if at all), what type of transport (MRT, BRT, marine) they will use etc. Everything is planned. It is rather mind-boggling.

 

[UKBengali]

Two lines should suffice with one of them having at end point at the airport, this particular line might be quite expensive to build because the airport is quite some ways off from the "city proper" and from what I've seen travelling to the airport just last month, there isn't really much underdeveloped land the government can quickly acquire...


As for the other line, one from west to east through GEC Moor and Khulshi will be enough...



Although there again this will be impossible because GEC Moor (the main commercial area) is occupied by a huge flyover that goes nowhere really..



I have a good feeling this project will either be slated for later or take longer to complete than the list Dhaka metro line took.

Thanks for that info and so only 2 lines will make it quicker and much cheaper than Dhaka metro.

I think if they start work asap then the two lines can be built before all the ones for Dhaka metro is complete by circa 2035.

 

[Bilal9]

Sounds about right, wonder if it costs more than a overhead metro

Shob tunnel ek na.

There are cheaper cut-n-cover "tunnels" (as done in Kolkata, typical) which is basically a square nullah with concrete cover and asphalted finish on top.

Then there are tunnels dug (bored) by TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) which go much deeper and our Karnaphuli river crossing tunnel and MRT 1 were/are being built in this manner. Jackpot for haramkhors.

TBM tunnel Metros (like Line 1 being built from Kamalapur to Shahjalal Airport and Purbachal Suburb in Dhaka) are way more expensive than anything done before in Bangladesh.

Overhead metro will be a little cheaper.

Cut and cover metro will be cheapest (as done in Kolkata).

Light rail or BRT if placed on street level will probably be even cheaper than cheapest option. But only at street level. In Bangladesh these haramkhors wanted extra money, so they built them overhead.

In India (nearest example) their overhead metro is usually Rs. 500 crore per KM. In Bangladesh you can double that because of the haramkhori.

 

[AmiEktaKharapChele]

Shob tunnel ek na.

There are cheaper cut-n-cover "tunnels" (as done in Kolkata, typical) which is basically a square nullah with concrete cover and asphalted finish on top.

Then there are tunnels dug (bored) by TBMs (Tunnel Boring Machines) which go much deeper and our Karnaphuli river crossing tunnel and MRT 1 were/are being built in this manner. Jackpot for haramkhors.

TBM tunnel Metros (like Line 1 being built from Kamalapur to Shahjalal Airport and Purbachal Suburb in Dhaka) are way more expensive than anything done before in Bangladesh.

Overhead metro will be a little cheaper.

Cut and cover metro will be cheapest (as done in Kolkata).

Light rail or BRT if placed on street level will probably be even cheaper than cheapest option. But only at street level. In Bangladesh these haramkhors wanted extra money, so they built them overhead.

In India (nearest example) their overhead metro is usually 500 crore per KM. In Bangladesh you can double that because of the haramkhori.

But won't cut and cover method require acquisition of more land than with an overhead approach ?

 

[bluesky]

Have you ever used the circular railway? None of my relatives seem to know about it and I've never seen it in person.

In Tokyo, a line called Yamate/ Yamanote Line moves in a circle although the route itself is not a real circle. It moves out from a station and comes back to the same station after covering many other stations in between. A description below from the Internet.

"The JR Yamanote line sometimes simply called Tokyo Loop Line is a circular line in central Tokyo, and much used by commuters and visitors alike. The Yamanote line has a daily ridership of up to 5 million people, stops at 30 stations, and has a total length of 34.5 km".
This 34.5 km length makes the average diameter of the loop about 11 km. This line has 30 stations. Going full circle on the Yamanote line takes a little over an hour, as stations are only 2-3 minutes apart.

As far as I know, it is the only train that traverses over the lines in a clockwise and the other line in an anticlockwise direction. All others are runs linear. I lived also in both Nagoya and Osaka but cannot remember these two cities having circular railway lines.

However, JICA will build one loop/ circular line in Dhaka. A loop line helps to take a passenger to change trains at a junction that takes him to a station nearest to his destination.

 

[Bilal9]

But won't cut and cover method require acquisition of more land than with an overhead approach ?

Yes it will, but the land is usually existing roadways anyway. Or govt. owned land. Don't usually need to buy it, as it usually already exists as right-of-way. If it doesn't the govt. usually buys the land at much more reasonable rates (because of "eminent domain" rule). Any land anywhere is not bought, it is only leased for 99 years. The govt. can end that lease unilaterally at any time it wishes and kick you out. Of course the govt. usually compensates, like they did for displaced folks who lost land for Dhaka Metro Line 6 viaduct. These people got some nice new apts. in Uttara.

Overhead viaduct is much more expensive than Cut-n-cover for this reason because one has to do piling in Bangladeshi soft soil (expensive) for pillars and build these specialized tracks on the viaducts with overhead catenary wiring.

Whereas for Cut-n-cover you are typically looking at 3rd rail power take-up which is usually much cheaper to do.

 

[bluesky]

Thanks for that info and so only 2 lines will make it quicker and much cheaper than Dhaka metro.

I think if they start work asap then the two lines can be built before all the ones for Dhaka metro is complete by circa 2035.

Since you have already decided alone about constructing only two lines in Chittagong, therefore, you should immediately tell Hasina Bibi about the decision so that she does not declare three lines without consulting you.

Now, tell me what is supposed to be the speed of the Chittagong lines. Is it also 100kph or more when the distance between two adjacent stations is no more than 1.5 km?

 

[Bilal9]

Video and animation of

In Tokyo, a line called Yamate/ Yamanote Line moves in a circle although the route itself is not a real circle. It moves out from a station and comes back to the same station after covering many other stations in between. A description below from the Internet.

"The JR Yamanote line sometimes simply called Tokyo Loop Line is a circular line in central Tokyo, and much used by commuters and visitors alike. The Yamanote line has a daily ridership of up to 5 million people, stops at 30 stations, and has a total length of 34.5 km".
This 34.5 km length makes the average diameter of the loop about 11 km. This line has 30 stations. Going full circle on the Yamanote line takes a little over an hour, as stations are only 2-3 minutes apart.

As far as I know, it is the only train that traverses over the lines in a clockwise and the other line in an anticlockwise direction. All others are runs linear. I lived also in both Nagoya and Osaka but cannot remember these two cities having circular railway lines.

However, JICA will build one loop/ circular line in Dhaka. A loop line helps to take a passenger to change trains at a junction that takes him to a station nearest to his destination.

Thanks for mentioning this. The JR Yamanote circular loop line is legendary and is one of the most important transport lines in Tokyo.

I have heard that passenger load is sometimes hard to cope with and reaches 200 plus percent somedays even after they introduced longer and more frequent trains. The line started in the late 1800's with steam engine drawn carriages, but converted to electric around 1909, before World War One. Here is a electric carriage from 1944. Even at the early date, you can see that Japan had fully absorbed this technology from the West and in some cases, was more modern. Something tells me Chittagong may not see the ridership in the first few years that metro will offer but eventually "when they build, passengers will arrive."