Consultancy services for, Feasibility study of Rehabilitation/Maintenance of Railway track and Feasibility study along with detail design for Rehabilitation/ Reconstruction of the Bridges in Eastern Zone of Bangladesh Railway.

Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), Environmental Management Plan (EMP), Traffic Survey

a) Track rehabilitation/reconstruction

Bangladesh Railway has 1333.93 km of Railway track in the Eastern zone. Among these, Dhaka-Chattogram mainline, Laksam- Chandpur, and Laksam- Noakhali branch lines are playing a vital role connecting Dhaka and Chattogram, coastal belt of Noakhali, major river port at Chandpur, and became a major economic growth and socio-economic development route of transportation. A wide range of railway networks in the Dhaka division connecting greater Mymensingh, Sylhet, Tangail districts up to Bangabandhu Bridge East is playing a predominant role in the region. With the opening of the rail line between Cumilla and Chattogram in 1895, railway communication was also added to Chandpur and Laksam. The existing railway network are being so aged old that track conditions in most of the sections became almost in deplorable condition. It necessitates replacement or renewal of track structures and their components, such as replacement of damaged sleepers, worn-out rails, recoupment of ballast deficiency and other track fittings, required mechanical maintenance of track Some of the sections need complete track renewal. Wooden sleepors at important level crossing gates, so as for points and crossing are to be replaced, opted for PC sleepers for safe and comfortable running of train. Presently there are several new rail lines were constructed but no permanent employees yet placed for maintenance of such new tracks in place. The proposed project caused to undertake rehabilitation or maintenance of track for safe running of trains include complete track renewal, renewal of sleepers, worn out rails, recoupment of ballast, rail fittings and fastenings, and other associated works; due to higher cost of track materials, urgency of the mechanized maintenance, such large volume of works for standard maintenance of track could not be done under the revenue budget.

b) Bridge rehabilitation/reconstruction

Major and important (large) bridges in the Eastern zone of Bangladesh Railway are almost 100 years old and the bridges are decaying, became vulnerable, over-aged having well or open foundation constructed with the aged-old British technology Other small bridges were constructed with shallow foundations with brick-dust and lime in Brick work has also overpassed their life.

Presently, Bangladesh Railway in the Eastern zone has 28 very important (large), 234 major and 1821 minor bridges, in summation total no. bridges are counted to 2083. These are the bridges constructed considering the axle load 11.8 ton for MG track and train operations are still continuing even with higher axle load koeping fitness and maintenance of the bridges, in most of the cases with minor repair, partly or completely reconstruction of the same. It will be time-consuming to rehabilitate or reconstruction of track/ bridges in small packages under revenue budget and tough to maintain similarity and coherence in the construction of the same. As such keeping the sections of on-going and already constructed gauge conversion project set aside planning are being undertaken to rehabilitate and reconstruct of bridges of all other sections as per instruction of honorable Minister, Ministry of Railways In view of that, the proposed project of rehabilitation and reconstruction of old-aged bridges by phasing. priority be given on deplorable bridges among 662 minor bridges, 124 major bridges and 7 important (large) bridges, and a total of 793 bridges in the project sections of BR in Eastern zone. Rehabilitation/reconstruction of age-old bridge workshop at Chattogram is also included in the program.

Services included:

§ Preparation of IEE report for Track Maintenance

§ Preparation of IEE report for Bridge rehabilitation

§ Preparation of Traffic Study report for both Track and Bridges.