Bangladesh Railway (BR) has reached an agreement with Oriental Consultancy Global Company (Japan) and its consortium partners for a feasibility study on 11 projects.

Other consortium partners include EGIS Rail from France and HSS Integrated from Malaysia, reported The Business Standard.

The project will be carried out with the support of Bangladesh’s KS Consultants, SODEV Consult International, STRATEGI Consulting, DevConsultants and SARM Associates.

Scope of the works includes the preparation of detailed designs as well as the development of project proposals for the projects in 30 months.

The 11 projects comprise a chord line from Dhaka to Cumilla through Narayanganj to lower the distance between Dhaka and Chattogram by 90km besides declining travel time by one-and-a-half hours, stated BR officials.

The consulting firms will conduct the feasibility study and detailed design for a new bridge parallel to the existing century-old Hardinge Bridge over the Padma river.

Other projects include the preparation of a study and detailed design to build a broad gauge line parallel to the existing Abdulpur-Rajshahi section and Abdulpur-Santahar-Parbatipur section including the Abdulpur bypass.

The studies will also focus on the building of a new broad gauge line from Santahar to Amnur in Chapainawabganj and conversion of existing metre gauge section from Santahar to Lalmonirhat via Bogura, Kaunia into dual gauge or broad gauge line.

Furthermore, the future demand for rolling stock will be assessed and core and non-core business plans for BR prepared.

A need analysis will also be conducted to set up a signalling training centre for BR.