Rail projects: India, Bangladesh sign consultancy agreements
New Delhi: India and Bangladesh have signed agreements in Dhaka for consulting services related to two projects of Bangladesh Railway, being funded via a line of credit from New Delhi.
These projects are a double-line rail track Line between the Khulna-Darsana junction section and the conversion of a meter gauge line into a dual gauge line from Parbatipur to the Kaunia section of the Bangladesh Railway.
Both these projects are being funded by the second USD 2 billion concessional Line of Credit (LOC) India is providing to Bangladesh.
With the allocation of over one-fourth of New Delhi’s LOC portfolio to the neighboring country, Bangladesh is one of India’s biggest development partners.
The Khulna-Darsana rail line project would be built at a cost of USD 312.48 million. It would increase cargo transportation capacity, enhance ports’ connectivity and ease fuel delivery to the planned fuel-based power plants.
The Parbatipur-Kaunia rail line project, with a cost of USD 120.41 million, envisages the building of a dual gauge railway track. It would facilitate border crossings at the Birol border and transportation of fuel from Khulna to Rangpur.
(Venkatesh)
