[tablemtn]

The transit connections between Calcutta and Dhaka are very poor. Each city has well over 10 million people, and the two cities are less than 200km apart. But the road and rail connections are very poor. Obviously history plays a big role here, but will the situation ever be fixed? There could be a lot more commerce and transit if these two megacities had a high-quality motorway and rail line between them, including a bridge across the Padma River.

Other large cities with poor connections - Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria.

Lagos, Porto Novo, Cotonou, Lome, Accra, Nigeria-Benin-Togo-Ghana

Where else?

 

[eulogy]

Kinshasa and Brazzaville?

 

[Æsahættr]

Clark - Manila

 

[Manila-X]

Clark - Manila

I don't think so. The NLEX highway was very efficient and it took us around 45 mins to reach the area. But it's a bit expensive though by Philippine standards.

 

[JustHorace]

And NLEX (between Clark and Manila) is one of the most modern in Asia. It was built according to the highest French tollway standards. And besides, the alternative, MacArthur Highway, is undergoing improvements. That makes 2 world-class highways connecting Clark and Manila. Not to mention the Northrail (rail connection between Manila and Clark) which is under construction.

 

[Manila-X]

I think the road/rail between Manila and Clark will improve since Clark may become the future interntional airport site.

 

[Minato ku]

And NLEX (between Clark and Manila) is one of the most modern in Asia. It was built according to the highest French tollway standards. And besides, the alternative, MacArthur Highway, is undergoing improvements. That makes 2 world-class highways connecting Clark and Manila. Not to mention the Northrail (rail connection between Manila and Clark) which is under construction.

Ah it is a very good tollway.

 

[Manila-X]

I was actually driving through Mc Arthur Highway when I was in Manila and I saw the road works happening. Even if it's improved, I don't think it will be as efficient enough compared to the NLEX but it's sure free

 

[Zaki]

The transit connections between Calcutta and Dhaka are very poor. Each city has well over 10 million people, and the two cities are less than 200km apart. But the road and rail connections are very poor. Obviously history plays a big role here, but will the situation ever be fixed? There could be a lot more commerce and transit if these two megacities had a high-quality motorway and rail line between them, including a bridge across the Padma River.

Other large cities with poor connections - Lagos and Ibadan, Nigeria.

Lagos, Porto Novo, Cotonou, Lome, Accra, Nigeria-Benin-Togo-Ghana

Where else?

The thing with Dhaka and Kolkata is that even though both are bengali cities, they ve been seperated for a long time and have been competing with each other as well. West bengal and east bengal have now been divided for almost 200 years and over the years the trust between the two sides have deterioted. Kolkata being in India is working more on developing links with other major Indian cities instead of Bangladesh while Dhaka is working more on developing links with Chittagong (Bangladesh's main port and city of 5 million) so that they can increase their productivity. Also i don't really see much economic prospects between the two cities as both are the leading cities in their respective regions and have similar facilities. The only real benefit between the two cities would be more cultural than anything as the two sides of Bengal discover more about each other.

 

[tablemtn]

I think improved links will definitely be good for Bangladesh, because it will allow Bangladeshi businessmen to move easily through the east Indian market. Right now, the red tape and transit hassles are very bad, especially if you need to move goods via barge or ground.

 

[Vovin]

Rio and São Paulo...
Both with over 15 million people and don't even has a rail connection...

 

[Yardmaster]

The thing with Dhaka and Kolkata is that even though both are bengali cities, they ve been seperated for a long time and have been competing with each other as well. West bengal and east bengal have now been divided for almost 200 years and over the years the trust between the two sides have deterioted. Kolkata being in India is working more on developing links with other major Indian cities instead of Bangladesh while Dhaka is working more on developing links with Chittagong (Bangladesh's main port and city of 5 million) so that they can increase their productivity. Also i don't really see much economic prospects between the two cities as both are the leading cities in their respective regions and have similar facilities. The only real benefit between the two cities would be more cultural than anything as the two sides of Bengal discover more about each other.

I'm interested that you state that this has been going on for 200 years? I would have thought it dated back to the partition of the British realm there, when India & Pakistan regained their independence. Wouldn't both Dacca & Chittagong benefit from a link to Kolkutta? I have a Railway Atlas Encylopedia here- printed in the 1980's, before "the troubles" began- which blithely or naively identifies the gaps that needed to be filled to enable rail transport from Istanbul via Delhi to Singapore and Beijing.

I'm sure a huge bridge would be required, but then ... look at The Straits of Messina.

 

[Yardmaster]

Is Clark a "Megacity" ? I thought it was just an airbase.

Seems to me that Dacca & Kolkutta had a very good claim to being the worst-connected close megacities, and Rio & Sao Paulo (from what I've seen in my atlases) are pretty poor too.

Another bad instance is my National Capital Canberra and any city in Australia you chose to mention: some people would say that Canberra produces nothing but hot air (others would say that the gas produced doesn't smell like air).

Anyway, except from Sydney, if you want to get to the National Capital to have a toke of that gas, and don't have a car, you might as well just walk.

 

[Zaki]

I'm interested that you state that this has been going on for 200 years? I would have thought it dated back to the partition of the British realm there, when India & Pakistan regained their independence. Wouldn't both Dacca & Chittagong benefit from a link to Kolkutta? I have a Railway Atlas Encylopedia here- printed in the 1980's, before "the troubles" began- which blithely or naively identifies the gaps that needed to be filled to enable rail transport from Istanbul via Delhi to Singapore and Beijing.

I'm sure a huge bridge would be required, but then ... look at The Straits of Messina.

No actually it began far before that. The first time bengal was divided was in 1905. The british wanted to have more control over bengal and decided it would be easier if they divided the powerful state. This caused a lot of protest and anger and eventually the british were forced to reunite bengal in 1912. And then it was split up again when India and pakistan split up. But i say it goes back 200 years because that is around the time the british arrived. before the British arrived, Dhaka had been the capital of the region for nearly a 1000 years and the British making Kolkata the capital started the rivalry between the two halves.

Also long before the British arrived, Bengal did experience a time period where it was divided during the Ilyas Dynasty back in the 1300s. I do hope though that one day East and West Bengal can one day again be reunited as it originally was.

And i guess Bangladesh as a whole would benefit from greater connectivity to India and hence Kolkata but if jsut focusing on the cities I don't think there would be much economic benefits. Chittagong and Kolkata are both ports and thus serve similar puposes while Kolkata and Dhaka are both regional centres and again serve similar roles. Increased connectivity would just make them competing cities.

 

[FM 2258]

Rio and São Paulo...
Both with over 15 million people and don't even has a rail connection...

What? How far apart are they? Hell even New York to Los Angeles has a rail connection even though it might not be fast.

 

[ChrisZwolle]

Iquitos, Peru 400.000 inhabitants, not reachable by road.
Petropavlovsk-Kamtchatskij, Russia, 200.000 inhabitants, also not reachable by road.
Manaus, Brazil, 1.800.000 inhabitants, connected by only one road to the rest of the Brazilians road system, over 1000 kilometers away.

 

[LtBk]

What? How far apart are they? Hell even New York to Los Angeles has a rail connection even though it might not be fast.

Over 217 miles or 349 kilometers. I read that they planning to build a HST line from Rio to Sao.

 

[JustHorace]

Is Clark a "Megacity" ? I thought it was just an airbase.

Actually, it's not even a city. Anyway, it's not an airbase anymore, it's a special economic zone. It has an airport which caters to Asian budget carriers. There are plans to build one of the world's largest airports in Clark and to transfer the Philippine capital there. It's a boomtown, and our expectations for it are far above ambitious.

 

[Corumbaiano87]

Rio and SP are the two worst connected megacities in the Western Hemisphere, by far... they could build up a decent rail link at least (it doesn't need to be a HST) since the motorway between the two cities is really congested in many points.

 

[bay_area]

Ive driven between Sao Paulo and Rio on many a weekend. The traffic is heavy at some parts but the actual highway is in very good condition and there are countless amenities(gas, food, rest areas) along the way.

Over 217 miles or 349 kilometers. I read that they planning to build a HST line from Rio to Sao.

Yeah, its a quick drive when there's no traffic.