An initiative has been undertaken to implement a new strategy aimed at easing severe traffic congestion in Dhaka and its surrounding areas, as well as increasing train operating speeds. Underpasses will be constructed in phases at busy level crossings along the Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur rail corridors, according to the plan. In densely populated or complex areas where constructing an underpass is unfeasible, alternative or parallel roads will be built, and smaller railway gates will be permanently closed. The ultimate goal is to gradually make the entire railway route completely free of level crossings.
The capital’s lone TT Para railway underpass has already brought about a major positive change. Since its opening, long queues of vehicles no longer form in the Kamalapur area when trains approach. Commuting between Motijheel and the areas of Mugda, Manda, Maniknagar and Sabujbagh has consequently become extremely smooth and dynamic, saving people valuable time and labour. Building on the successful experience of TT Para, plans to construct new underpasses in other parts of Dhaka are being rapidly advanced.
There are currently around 50 level crossings along the route from Narayanganj through Kamalapur to Tongi and Joydebpur. Among them, nine busy railway gates are located within just a 6.5-kilometre stretch from Tejgaon to Kamalapur. With trains arriving roughly every 15 minutes, these gates must remain closed, causing severe traffic congestion stretching for kilometres on surrounding major roads. This congestion and chaos also make it difficult for the railway to operate trains on schedule.
These issues were discussed in detail at the 38th meeting of the Traffic Management Center (TMC), held yesterday at the office of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). The outline adopted to alleviate severe traffic congestion in Dhaka and surrounding areas and boost train speeds was presented at the meeting.
Presided over by DTCA Executive Director Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, the meeting was attended by top officials from various service-providing agencies, including Bangladesh Railway, the two city corporations, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Highway Police.
Work is currently underway to lay new tracks and upgrade the Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur route to four lines. There are future plans to operate a significantly higher number of commuter or local trains between Dhaka and its surrounding districts. But running additional trains while keeping the existing level crossings operational is completely impossible.
Bangladesh Railway Joint Director General (Operation) Shahidul Islam stated that a preliminary survey has identified at least five to six locations along the Dhaka-Joydebpur section where constructing underpasses is comparatively feasible. In the first phase, work on designing these points and allocating budgets will commence.
Various complexities also exist, such as the city’s dense population, multi-story buildings on both sides, commercial infrastructure and land acquisition. Explaining the strategy to tackle these practical challenges, he said, “In places where building a direct underpass is difficult, parallel roads will be constructed to divert vehicles toward nearby safe underpasses, and the previous risky railway gate will be permanently sealed off.”
Officials present at the meeting agreed that there is no alternative to making the entire corridor crossing-free to resolve the traffic crisis and reap the full benefits of the railway infrastructure built at a cost of billions of taka. This will not only clear the heart of the city but also multiply the overall capacity and frequency of trains.
The DTCA executive director further stated, “The technical designs should be finalised for locations where underpasses can be built quickly and easily. With the coordination of the Ministries of Home Affairs and Railways, the list of feasible locations will be presented to the prime minister for final approval on a priority basis.”