Kamalapur MmTH: BR takes fresh move for study on infrastructure relocation

Bangladesh Railway (BR) has taken another move to conduct a study for identifying infrastructures needed to be relocated or shifted from the Kamalapur Rail Station premises for establishing the planned multimodal transport hub (MmTH).

Sources said the study in this connection has been necessary as the Japanese company working to develop the Kamalapur MmTH has already shared its conceptual design for the billion dollar investment hub to the BR.

Though it has fixed a target to start construction by 2030, the BR has to rebuild station building as well as relocate its inland container depot (ICD) and other infrastructures from the station premises before the MmTH construction begins in 2030.

The entire 256 acres of land have infrastructures including staff quarters and training facilities and those would also be required to be shifted for the MmTH.

Under the 876.4 million project, the World Bank will provide technical support not only for Kamalapur MmTH but also BR's another initiative to build airport station another MmTH which move was shelved due to not getting response from investors earlier.

The feasibility study is likely to find new alignment of Dhaka-Chattogram railway corridor.

The BR has been working to establish the MmTH at Kamlapur station keeping provision of trains, metro rail, para transit, buses and pedestrians within station area under the public private partnership (PPP) model.

But the BR's plan to establish another MmTH at airport station could not be proceeded due to lack of acceptable proposal from the Japanese side as the PPP authority and related ministry of Japanese government agreed to facilitate the PPP projects since 2018.

"It has been perceived since rejection of the first proposal from another Japanese investor that Airport Station is not potential for establishing the hub under PPP model. So the study would help ascertain overall conception," said an official.

He also said the WB's supported study at Kamalapur station will also help the BR get clear ideas about which infrastructures would need to be relocated and what efforts would be needed to shift existing infrastructures.

The 876.4 million project will take necessary preparatory work for the readiness of the dub projects as the private investors would not invest on the non-revenue infrastructure development areas.

Under the project which is to be completed by 2026, the feasibility study and conceptual design for the redevelopment of existing Railway Station building, yards, facilitates in Kamalapur and Airport station areas.

The Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Tourism recommended Kajima Corporation as the potential investor for the Kamlapur Multi-Modal project during the Bangladesh-Japan Joint Platform meeting in 2018 which finally drafted the conceptual proposal recently.

As per the proposal, existing station building will be shifted eastwards of the station area to continue the usual operations.

It proposed to reform entire train operations, maintenance, and station building area of the station aiming to increase commuter-and intercity-train services with 5.0-15-minute intervals.

The sub-working group on the project recently shared the proposal with Bangladesh Railway (BR) detailing its 'pre-master plan', also suggesting the introduction of commuter trains through dedicated two tracks of one platform.

Under the PPP model, the company suggested remodeling the Kamlapur station as a concept of a new central railway station building which would have enough space for public functioning with commercial facilities and offices and hotels.

This station will have connectivity with MRT 1, 2, 4, and 6 with convenience transfer facilities for passengers with other transport modes. Separate concourse areas will be built for connectivity.

The conceptual plan of the building is to keep multiple exits from central east and central west along with southwest, southeast, northwest, and northeast sides which would enable passengers to easily access the station building.

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