Akhaura-Agartala dual-gauge railway link project delayed further

Despite the project’s 4-year dragging, the railways ministry has sought fresh time extension for the Akhaura-Agartala dual-gauge railway link project as its current deadline expired during September.

Against the sought deadline in June 2023, the Joint Steering Committee meeting, however, decided to extend the project’s completion by December 30, this year.

In the Joint Steering Committee meeting, the project director of the railway link project said the Indian funded project has been delayed due to two reasons: Slowness of the construction contractor Texmaco Rail & Engineering Limited and failing to obtain import permit from the government of India as the project deadline expired.

The planning ministry of Bangladesh government in August 2016 received a green light from the Executive committee of the National Economic Council for the project.

The deadline of the project --- being implemented at the cost of Tk 477.8 crore, of which most (Tk 420.76 crore ) part coming from India as grant --- has been revised four times.

Establishing inter-communication between Bangladesh and India’s north-eastern region through rail connectivity and establishing a new rail route to India’s Agartala via Akhaura are the major objectives of the railway link project.

Against such a backdrop, the project steering committee, comprised of officials from both the countries, held its 7th meeting last year to discuss how to speed up the work and other related issues.

The Indian officials, in the virtual meeting, even proposed replacing the project contractor with another Indian contractor to accelerate the work, meeting sources said. But, the Bangladesh side did not make any decision as they would require consent from the high-ups, sources in the ministry of railways said.

Under the project, some 14.26-mile dual-gauge rail lines would be constructed. The project accomplished financial implementation only by 29.39% and physical by 60.50 %, respectively.

The project got frozen amid the Covid-19 pandemic and could not make tangible progress.