Dhaka-Pabna direct train to be launched in August: Bridges Minister

Ending a long-wait, Road Transport and Bridges Ministry and Shipping Ministry Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has said that a direct train on the Dhaka-Pabna route is going to be launched by next August.

He informed this to reporters after a view-exchange meeting with government officials, public representatives and interested parties at the Pabna Circuit House auditorium on Saturday afternoon.

The minister said that the necessary preparations for the launch of the Dhaka-Pabna rail service are almost complete. The locomotive is already ready and new coaches are in the process of arriving in the country. As soon as some coaches are received next month, trains will be launched on two new routes in the first phase. Among these, the Dhaka-Pabna route is getting priority, and the Dhaka-Khulna route will be launched later.

He said, "Although I am a person from Khulna, I think the suffering of the people of Pabna is much greater. Therefore, the Dhaka-Pabna route has been given priority first."

The Bridges Minister also highlighted the government's plan to establish discipline in the transport sector. He said that the transport system must be made more disciplined and accountable to ensure passenger service and public interest. The cooperation of transport owners and labor organizations is being received in this work.

The minister said that the government is working to build a modern and international standard multimodal communication system, where roads, railways and waterways will be operated in an integrated manner. Through this, major changes will come to the country's communication sector.

Regarding the demand for development of communication infrastructure in Pabna, he said that the work of feasibility study and preparation of Development Project Proposal (DPP) of the related projects has started. The government is in a positive position to implement these projects considering the larger public interest.