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The government has finalised a decision to construct an 81-kilometre elevated railway corridor from Dhaka to Cumilla, which is expected to shorten the Dhaka-Chattogram rail distance by around 80 kilometres and cut travel time by 1.5 to two hours.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Dr Zahed Ur Rahman disclosed the decision at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
The project has a preliminary estimated cost of Tk 83,901 crore, and construction is expected to take four years after land acquisition, he said.
The entire 81-kilometre route, extending from Dhaka and Shyampur to Cumilla, will be built on an elevated structure, according to the adviser.
He said a final decision on the project had been taken at the highest level of the government.
Building the railway on an elevated structure would save approximately 322 acres of land, he added.
Once implemented, the project is expected to improve rail connectivity between Dhaka and the southeastern region, particularly along the busy Dhaka-Chattogram corridor, by reducing both distance and journey time.