The multi-purpose Padma Bridge finally got its full form of meaning with a train trial run through it on Tuesday.
The concerned authorities hope to open the rail to the public within September next.
After 10 months of vehicular movement, the train successfully crossed the Padma Bridge. With this a new dimension has been added to the communication system of the people of the southern region through the experimental running of this special train from Faridpur’s Bhanga railway station to Mawa station via Padma Bridge.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan inaugurated the special train trial at Bhanga railway station on Tuesday.
Railway Minister Md. Nurul Islam Sujan said, “Today is a historic moment for Bangladesh. Despite our inauguration of vehicular movement, there was a drawback as the rail link was not opened at Padma Bridge. Today we are having that moment in reality through the trial run.”
With this, there will be radical changes in our rail communication system. Regarding the complete train movement, the minister said that the project is scheduled to start in June next year. By this time the work of the project up to Jashore is supposed to be completed. The portion from Bhanga in Faridpur to Mawa is expected to launch next September.
The construction of the 6.15 km stoneless railway track has been completed at Padma Bridge. A train ran experimentally on the 42 km railway from Faridpur’s Bhanga station to Mawa station via Padma Bridge. Through this, the rest of the story of Padma Bridge has been completed.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan inaugurated the construction of the railway line on the bridge on August 20 last year. However, due to various complications, the work started in full swing in November. The work was completed in the fifth month. Now it's ready to have train movement through the bridge.
Padma Bridge Rail Link Project Director Afzal Hossain said that it will take some more time to complete the entire work on Dhaka to Mawa section. Then it will be possible to operate the train from Dhaka to the Bhanga section. Now preparations are being made to run special trains on an experimental basis from Bhanga section of the Mawa to Jazira end. Through this, the train will run over the Padma Bridge for the first time. Earlier, a train was run experimentally on Faridpur’s Bhanga to Shariatpur’s Padma Bridge link railway.”
National Parliament Chief Whip Nur Alam Liton Chowdhury, Water Resources Ministry Deputy Minister AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, Madaripur-3 Constituency MP Abdus Sobhan Golap, Shariatpur-1 Constituency MP Iqbal Hossain Apu, Shariatpur-3 Constituency MP Nahim Razzak, Faridpur-4 Constituency MP Mojibur Rahman Nixon Chowdhury, Padma Bridge Rail Project Chief Coordinator Major General AKAKM Rezaul Majid, Deputy Coordinator Brigadier General Abul Kalam Azad, Project Manager Brigadier General Said Ahmed and Faridupur Deputy Administrator Kamrul Ahsan Talukder among others were present during the experimental trial run.
