600km rail lines to be expanded to boost freight transport: Sheik Moinuddin

Chief Adviser's Special Assistant on the Ministry of Railways, Dr Sheik Moinuddin, has said that around 500 – 600 kilometres of rail lines are being expanded across the country, with the goal of transporting 40 percent of the nation's goods through railways.

In an exclusive interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) at his office today (27 January), he noted that the country's growing population will inevitably increase reliance on railways in the future, and said that to meet this demand, the interim government has undertaken several projects to modernise and develop the railway sector.

Sheik Moinuddin pointed out that while 20–40 percent of goods are transported by rail in many developed countries, the figure in Bangladesh remains only three to four percent.

To lessen this gap, railway signalling systems will be modernised under a dedicated project, and initiatives have already been taken to procure more than 30 locomotives from developed countries, he said, adding that future plans include assembling railway coaches domestically to enhance self-reliance.

Alongside railways, the government is also focusing on developing waterways as a fast and effective mode of communication. If both sectors are modernised, he said, it would be possible to transport 40 – 50 percent of the country's goods through rail and water routes.

The Special Assistant emphasised that goods will eventually be loaded and unloaded directly into railway wagons from ports, with rail line renovation allowing wagons to enter container depots.

He observed that while railways were once the country's main mode of transport, emphasis shifted to roads after independence, leaving railways underrepresented. Now, a comprehensive multimodal plan is being formulated to ease pressure on road networks.

Highlighting future needs, he said the opening of Matarbari Port and its terminal will require greater reliance on railways and waterways, as road networks alone will not be able to handle the volume of goods.

Sheik Moinuddin mentioned several major projects are underway, including dual-tracking of the Chattogram – Dohazari rail line, a newly approved project to bypass Chattogram, and rehabilitation of the Akhaura – Sylhet line into a dual-gauge track.

He noted that transporting goods by large trucks not only worsens traffic congestion but also causes severe damage to roads, costing hundreds of crores of Taka annually in maintenance. Modernising railways, he said, will reduce this burden and make the sector more youth-friendly.

Expressing optimism, Sheik Moinuddin said the realistic initiatives taken by the current interim government would be continued by the next government.