The government on Tuesday approved a project to convert the Akhaura-Sylhet railway into dual-gauge one from metre-gauge rail line.
The approval of the Tk 161.04 billion project came at the regular meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), at the NEC conference room with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The project is scheduled to be implemented by June 2025 by Bangladesh Railway (BR), as per a UNB agency report.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the meeting okayed seven projects involving total estimated cost of Tk 181.91 billion.
Of the total estimated cost, Tk 66.22 billion will come from government fund, while Tk Tk 115.69 billion as loan from foreign sources, he said.
The Chinese government will finance Tk 106.54 billion on G-to-G basis to implement the project, while the rest of the project cost of Tk 54.50 billion will come from the government fund.
Under the project, the existing 225-kilometre mater gauge railway track under the Akhaura-Sylhet section will be converted into a 239.14-kilometre dual gauge track.
Besides, the other major project operations include construction of 49 major and 237 minor bridges, signalling works at 22 stations, construction of 16,690 square metre residential building and some 200.30 acres of land acquisition.
