(Yicai Global) Dec. 28 -- A subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corp. (CRCC) has received an order for a meter gauge railway reconstruction project in Bangladesh with a contract value of USD1.5 billion.

The subsidiary, China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co., has signed a contract with the Bangladesh Ministry of Railways, CRCC announced yesterday.

The unit will convert the meter gauge rail line from Akoala to Sylhet in Bangladesh into a mixed-gauge track that accommodates both formats, with the main line stretching 176 kilometers.

Some Southeast and South Asian countries use the meter gauge railway system for historical and national security reasons. It differs from the standard gauge most countries employ. Divergent track widths restrict rail transport between countries.