Published : 13 Oct 2026, 08:22 PM
Updated : 13 Oct 2026, 08:22 PM
A new elevated rail link between Dhaka and Cumilla could shave up to two hours off the journey, Prime Minister’s Information Advisor Zahed Ur Rahman has said.
He outlined the 81km project at a government progress briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Advisor Zahed said, “The Ministry of Railways has taken the initiative to establish a new chord line from Dhaka’s Shyampur to Cumilla. This 81km-long route will be entirely elevated.”
The project would reduce travel time from Dhaka by one-and-a-half to two hours, he said, adding that around 130 hectares of land would be saved as the entire railway line would be elevated.
The plan to construct a chord line on the Dhaka-Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chattogram railway, which will reduce the route's distance by approximately 80km, was included in the budget announced on Jun 11.
The project is initially estimated to cost Tk 839.01 billion and would take four years to implement after land acquisition.
“The final decision regarding the elevated structure will be made at the highest level of the government,” Advisor Zahed said.