Kamalapur Railway Station, officially Dhaka Railway Station, is the central railway station in Kamalapur, Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. It is the largest station and the busiest infrastructure for transportation in the country that acts as a gateway to the country's capital. It was opened on 1 May 1968.
It was built during the Pakistan period, but its railway line was built during the British period. After the creation of Pakistan, another railway station was constructed at Kamalapur as the old railway station in Dhaka was inadequate, and a part of the existing railway line was moved from the previous position. Built in 1968, this railway station was witness to the massacre that took place during the liberation war in 1971.
After the liberation, the country's first inland container depot was established here. After that, several proposals and decisions were made to relocate and demolish the station building, but due to objections from the authorities and dignitaries, it was not done. A multimodal transport hub around the station is currently under construction, which is expected to be completed by 2030.
This station is plagued with various issues. Among them are homeless people, the height of platforms, insecurity, criminal activities, reluctance of passengers to use foot overbridges, the problem of railway porters, and unavailability of information. This central railway station of the country has 8 platforms. Apart from this, there are various facilities including a hospital, mosque, and police station.
History Pre-independence era Predecessor
In 1885, when Bangladesh was under the British Raj, the Dacca State Railway built the Narayanganj–Bahadurabad Ghat line and opened its part for train service from the old city of Dacca (now Dhaka) to Narayanganj. In 1895, Dacca railway station (also known as Fulbaria railway station) was built with other facilities. It was established on the south side of the then main city of Dhaka. In the same year, railway connections from Dhaka to Narayanganj and Dhaka to Mymensingh were established. After the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Dhaka became the main city and capital of East Bengal (later East Pakistan). In that time, the railway line used to go straight from Tejgaon railway station to Fulbaria.
Establishment
Dhaka's urban status grew in the early 20th century, and so did its economy, especially after the partition of India and independence of Pakistan in 1947. The existing railway lines extended northwards, bisecting Dhaka into old and new cities, and these railway lines intersected with roads at various points, blocking the flow of north–south road traffic. Also, the old Dacca railway station on the northern side of the city was incomplete, consisting of a platform, a small yard, and a locomotive shed. Relocating the station to a less congested area is expected to facilitate unhindered north–south vehicular flow, and also bring old and new Dhaka cities together. In 1948, experts suggested shifting the station to Kamalapur. In 1952, a plan to shift the railway station outside the city area was made. It was also planned to build a new railway line from Tejgaon to Gandaria. However, due to the fund shortage, the plan wasn't executed that time. After 10 years of the suggestion on 20 December 1958, the provincial government finalized to construct the new railway station in Kamalapur with the deadline of 1964. The initial budget for its construction was , of which the provincial government was supposed to provide about 60%. In 1960, the provincial government took "Dacca realignment scheme" which included a new station in Kamalapur and a new track from Tejgaon to Gandaria. The government planned to acquired lands in Kamalapur for the new station building. However, due to litigation issues, the acquisition plan was stopped till 1964. On the other hand, the new railway track was successfully built in 1962. From Tejgaon, the railway line was diverted to Khilgaon, and then to Kamalapur. The operational elements and logistics of the old Dacca railway station were transferred to the new railway station in 1965. On 1 February 1966, goods transport services started from the incomplete station. On 1 May 1966, the station became partially operation for passenger train services by Dhaka–Mymensingh passenger, Dhaka–Narayanganj local and Sundarban Express. The station was inaugurated by East Pakistani governor Abdul Monem Khan on 27 April 1968. Pakistani president Ayub Khan was at the inauguration ceremony. Its construction cost was . A year after that, the headquarters of the railway mail service of the province was moved here.
Post-independence era Recent developments
On 11 April 1987, after sixteen years of the independence of Bangladesh, the first inland container depot in Bangladesh was opened in the railway station. In 2005, American consultancy firm Louis Berger Group prepared a strategic transport plan (STP) for Dhaka. The STP suggested the relocation of the central railway station to Tongi, but the steering committee, formed by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, rejected the suggestion. In the 2010s, the government proposed to shift the railway station to Gazipur District. But the Ministry of Railways opposed the proposal, considering the inconvenience to the city dwellers. The station building underwent renovation four times between 2013 and 2023.
Under the construction project of the Dhaka–Jessore line, which started in 2016, it was decided to renovate six railway stations, which included Kamalapur railway station. In 2020, a government meeting held at the Railway Bhaban in Dhaka informed that as part of the renovation work, three new dual-gauge railway lines and a new platform for the station's broad-gauge railway line will be constructed at the station.
The Dhaka–Narayanganj section of the existing Narayanganj–Bahadurabad Ghat line has been declared closed from 4 December 2022 for upgrading from meter gauge to dual gauge and the Padma Bridge Rail Link project. The announcement led to the suspension of train services from Kamalapur to Narayanganj railway station, causing suffering to commuters plying the route who used to travel by train to save money. Md. Nurul Islam Sujon, railway minister of the country, had announced on 14 January 2023 that the section would be opened for train traffic by March. But it could not be done, as two projects were not completed. On 25 July 2023, the Railway Minister announced that the Dhaka–Narayanganj section would be reopened on the first day of August. On the final promised day, train services resumed from Kamalapur to Narayanganj.
COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, train services at Kamalapur railway station were suspended and access to the station was closed. Although the Kamalapur railway station was opened in June, the authority did not arrange additional trains for passengers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. After the end of the lockdown in 2021, the government mandated online-only ticket sales, leaving the lower classes deprived of using the station. On the other hand, they could not travel sitting on the roof of the train, as they were not allowed to enter the station without a ticket. After the second phase of lockdown, Kamalapur railway station was opened and rail communication resumed. In early 2022, new restrictions were imposed on the railway station as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and ticket sales were halved. It faced disaster due to the overcrowding of passengers due to the ban on the use of motorcycles on the highways and outside of the district by the government around Eid-ul-Azha of the same year. As a result, its train schedule was disrupted.
Multimodal transport hub
In 2018, a public-private joint investment (PPP) project with Kajima was approved to create a multimodal hub around Dhaka Airport and Tejgaon railway station along with Kamalapur Railway Station. Under this infrastructure will be built around Kamalapur Railway Station; there will be multi-storied residential buildings, hotels, shopping malls, subways, and runways. In 2019, the Bangladesh Railway authority objected to the construction of a multimodal hub in front of the station building. In 2020, Bangladesh Railway and Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited decided to connect Kamalapur railway station with MRT Line 6 of Dhaka Metro Rail. But as the current station could not match the proposed route of MRT Line 6, it was decided to demolish the Kamalapur station and construct a new one 130 meters north. Various architects and individuals of the country opposed this decision. On 30 January 2021, the Prime Minister's Office gave permission to demolish the railway station, but in February, the Railway Ministry withdrew its decision to demolish Kamalapur. However, related authorities said that the railway station may be shifted in the near future if required. Instead of demolishing the station, the government plans to construct a station complex for metrorail, subway, elevated express, and bus rapid transit under the railway station area as part of the multimodal hub that is scheduled to be completed by 2030. In 2025, the authorities confirmed that the station would be demolished for the proposed hub.
Architecture
The architects of Kamalapur railway station were two Americans: Daniel Dunham and Bob Buie. Both came to East Pakistan as architects with the Louis Berger Group. The design process started under the direction of Dunham, followed by Robert Boughey.
Dunham & Buie's design included the creation of a wide-span structure that would be suitable for the climate of the region, a challenge to them. For that, they designed a concrete structure for the station building roof that was unusual; the structure had a parasol roof. The roof shelters a row of downward-facing interconnected structures. The terminal's profile – a rhythmic arrangement of gently tapered and arched shells evokes the typical image of a tropical climate, with an umbrella providing protection from monsoon rains. The design of the station includes various functional spaces, including the station's ticket booth, administrative offices, passenger rest areas, and waiting areas under an integrated canopy roof.
The entire structure consists of 36 squares. It has a total of 49 columns. Above it stands a roof with 36 slender concrete domes. Each column, 59 feet high, extends four branches upward and supports the roof. The station is spread over an area of 156 acres. It has 11 ticket counters and several passenger rest areas.
A monument called "Suryaketan" was constructed at the entrance of the railway station in 1999 in memory of all the railway officers and employees who were martyred in the 1971 liberation war.
Accidents and incidents In 1971, the Pakistan Army attacked the Kamalapur railway station soon after Operation Searchlight began. They killed the people in the trains reaching the station and burnt the trains. Also, everyone in the station building was killed by the Pakistani army. About 30 employees working at the railway station died in this massacre.
On 22 June 2009, an incorrect signal caused a head-on collision between Mahanagar Probhati and Isa khan Express. It caused 1 fatality and 40 others to be injured.