TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY

The Dhaka-Jashore rail line via the Padma Bridge is going to open in July, but Bangladesh Railway may not able be to reap the full benefit of the expensive project soon mainly due to shortages of manpower and carriages.

According to the feasibility study of the project, at least 24 pairs of trains can be operated on the line daily once the entire 169km line is opened.

But only five pairs of trains, including one inaugurated yesterday, are operating on the partially opened line.

And two more trains, which now use Bangabandhu Bridge route, will use the new line once it is opened fully. But even after that, 70 percent of the line’s capacity will remain unused.

BR will have to introduce new trains or increase frequency of the trains for the south-western region; and operate more freight trains, particularly from India, to effectively use the capacity of the line.

But BR does not have enough manpower to operate the new and additional freight trains. This is because BR is now operating with half the workforce it needs. Moreover, the BR is yet to have approval for the dedicated manpower it sought for the Dhaka-Jashore route.

Besides, it has a shortage of carriages to operate new trains or increase frequency of trains.

The Daily Star came to know this after talking to half a dozen railway officials.

BR is constructing 169km broad-gauge single-line from Dhaka to Jashore via Padma Bridge at a cost of Tk 39,247 crore. This is the biggest project of BR in terms of cost. More than half of the cost is being provided by China as loan.

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