The highly anticipated Khulna-Mongla Port rail line has been virtual inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday. This rail project is part of the first Line of Credit extended by India to Bangladesh in 2010.
Cost of Khulna-Mongla Port rail line project:-
The Khulna-Mongla Port rail line project has been implemented at a total project cost of US Dollar 388.92 million.
About Khulna-Mongla Port rail line:-
The project encompasses the construction of a 65-kilometer broad gauge rail route, connecting Mongla Port to the existing rail network in Khulna. This significant development marks the integration of Mongla, the second-largest port of Bangladesh, with the broader broad-gauge (BG) railway network.
Construction of Rupsha bridge
The route length of 64.75 km (Track length 89.5 km) includes a total of 31 bridges and 108 culverts. Of these, there is a major bridge on river Rupsha of 5.2 km. The bridge is a key part of the project and was completed on June 25, 2022. It will connect Central and North Bangladesh and also to the India border at Petrapole and Gede in West Bengal.
Significance of Khulna-Mongla Port rail line:-
The Khulna-Mongla Port rail line project will enhance the operations of Mongla Port. It will boost the connectivity of Bangladesh with its three neighbours – India, Nepal and Bhutan. The rail link will establish a connection between Mongla Port and Siliguri in India through Panchagarh and Banglabandha in the north.