The government has announced plans to bring 10 additional districts under the national railway network as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen rail connectivity and improve transport services across the country.

Road Transport and Bridges, Shipping and Railways Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam made the announcement at a press briefing held on Tuesday (June 16) at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room in the Secretariat.

He said the expansion plan would primarily focus on districts surrounding Dhaka as well as several areas in the southern region.

According to the minister, a high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister reviewed the overall status of the railway sector, including ongoing projects, service quality, connectivity gaps and future development plans.

Following the review, several key decisions were taken to further improve rail connectivity and enhance passenger services nationwide.

Among the major ongoing projects are the Akhaura–Sylhet railway line and the Sirajganj–Bogura rail link. An Inland Container Depot (ICD) project at Dhirashram has also been approved.

The government is also working to address gauge inconsistencies along the Dhaka–Chattogram corridor, where both metre-gauge and broad-gauge tracks currently exist.

As part of this initiative, dual-gauge double lines will be constructed on the Tongi–Akhaura and Laksam–Sylhet routes.

The minister further said that work is progressing on the proposed Dhaka–Cumilla chord line, which is expected to reduce travel distance by around 80 kilometres, significantly cutting travel time and costs.

At present, 49 districts are connected to the railway network. The government aims to gradually extend rail connectivity to all 64 districts of the country.

As part of this plan, feasibility studies and route preparations are underway to expand rail services to 10 more districts, with new projects expected to be launched soon.

Highlighting existing gaps, he noted that Manikganj, despite its proximity to the capital, still lacks direct rail connectivity. To address this, the government is considering introducing a Dhaka–Manikganj commuter train service to ease daily travel for commuters.

He added that future railway projects will be implemented under an integrated framework, ensuring simultaneous development of railway lines, locomotives, coaches, and related infrastructure.

This will allow train services to begin immediately after construction is completed, without delays caused by separate project execution, he said.