Cox’s Bazar rail-station to be shaped of oyster

The proposed railway station in Cox’s Bazar is to be shaped after a huge oyster as rapid works are underway to build a 128 kilometre track connecting the beach town with the country’s main railway networks along the port city of Chattogram, officials said today.

“The station will be built in Cox’s Bazar sea beach which will have a shape of a huge oyster,” project director of Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar-Ghungdhum Railway Line Mohammad Mofizur Rahman said.

He said the shape was designed to synchronize the structure with the world’s largest natural sea beach, the abode of millions of oysters, while “this huge (artificial) oyster would contain the platform and passenger lounges and office rooms.

“Under the supervision of Prime Minister’s Office, the project works are going in full swing to complete construction of the railway track at a cost of Taka 18035 crore by 2022. Around 22 percent works of the project has been done so far and land acquisition was also completed,” the project director said.

Rahman said under the project, 88 km track is being built from Dohazari of Chattogram to Ramu of Cox’s Bazar, 12 km from Ramu to Cox’s Bazar and 28m from Ramu Ghumdhum.

According to project officials, the total 128 km railways will have nine stations-Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazra, Eidgah, Ramu, Cox’s Bazar sadar, Ukhia and Ghumdhum – with computerized interlocking system for railway signaling control and digital telecommunication system.

A junction station will be built at Ramu on the way to Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar from Chattogram. From the junction, a railway line will go towards Cox’s Bazar sea beach and another one towards Ghumdhum under Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban district in the eastern side nearing Myanmar.

Three large bridges will be built on Sangu, Matamuhuri and Bakkhali rivers while 43 small bridges, 201 culverts and 144 level-crossing will be constructed on the railways. A flyover will be built in Keuchiya area, two highway crossings in Ramu and Cox’s Bazar areas.

The railway will be connected with trans-Asian railway networks and it will act as an important route for regional, sub-regional railway communications, officials said.

Apart from making the journey easier, comfortable and cheaper for local and foreign tourists, the railways will connect Bangladesh railways with India-Myanmar, China and Turkey. It also contributes to the economy a lot by boosting up business and commerce.

Describing the project progress, its director Mafizur Rahman said camp-office-cum construction yard has been built near Cox’s Bazar Eidgah while material testing laboratory was constructed at Ramu. Now construction is going on at 29 km with backfilling at some parts.

In April 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone of the project kicking off the construction work.

But the construction was delayed due to legal complexities and other problems. The construction of the long-awaited railways is expected to end by 2022.

Source: BSS