Dhaka: The government has embarked on a Taka 93.51 crore initiative to lay the groundwork for a green railway transport system in the country. Bangladesh Railway, under the Ministry of Railways, will oversee the project named ‘Green Railway Transport Preparatory Technical Assistance’, which is slated for completion by March 2027.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the project will be funded through a combination of Taka 28.37 crore from the Government of Bangladesh and a Taka 65.14 crore loan from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) recently approved the plan during its meeting.
The project spans several critical areas, including the Dhaka Railway Station in Kamalapur, Dhaka Airport Railway Station under the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor, from Faujdarhat to the Chattogram Goods Port Yard (CGPY), and from CGPY to Bay Terminal at Patenga in Chattogram, as well as Mirsharai upazila in Chattogram. World Bank funding will support feasibility studies for the expansion and reconstruction of station buildings and other facilities, the relocation of current operational and maintenance facilities, and the creation of a multimodal transport hub at Kamalapur Station.
The project also aims to establish rail connectivity from Faujdarhat to the Goods Port Yard and Bay Terminal in Chattogram, along with enhanced rail links in the Mirsharai Economic Zone. A Planning Commission official mentioned that the Physical Infrastructure Division held a meeting of the Special Project Evaluation Committee (SPEC) on February 12, 2025, where recommendations for project implementation were made with certain conditions.
The World Bank has preliminarily agreed to provide $6 million as a Project Preparatory Advance (PPA). Part of the project involves feasibility studies on reconstructing station building yards and facilitating the construction of multimodal transport hubs at Kamalapur and Dhaka Airport stations. It will also focus on developing rail connections from Faujdarhat to the Goods Port Yard and Bay Terminal in Chattogram.
The main project will finance the purchase of freight locomotives, relief trains, and haulage, as well as develop rail connection infrastructure in the Mirsharai Economic Zone. The fully implemented green railway transport system is expected to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental pollution.
The Planning Commission official further noted that the Green Railway Transport project aims to bolster the overall capacity of railway management and improve service standards to modernize railway infrastructure into a sustainable and environmentally friendly system. The improved railway transportation system will ensure easier communication, significantly reduce transport costs, boost trade and commerce, and create employment opportunities.
The World Bank had previously issued an aide-memoire indicating its intention to finance the technical assistance project along with the main investment project. This project is part of the new list of foreign-funded unapproved projects under the Revised Annual Development Programme (RADP) for the current fiscal year (FY25), with feasibility studies set to be conducted.