Rail communication on the Padma Bridge is likely to delay as installation of train track on the main bridge is not starting before June next year.
The Padma Bridge is scheduled to open for vehicular movement in June next year, on the same day, the railways officials concerned was hopeful to operate rail on the bridge.
The railways minister said that as the bridge division is not allowing railways to start work on the major part of the bridge hence it seems rail operation is not possible in line with the bridge inauguration.
It was learned that the bridge authority will not allow the railways ministry to work on the main portion of the bridge before June next year. However, in this very situation, the railways concerned are expecting that they will be able to operate train till Bhanga via Padma Bridge by December next year.
Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told journalists after a meeting recently, “We are working accordingly so that we can operate the train from Dhaka to Bhanga by December 2022.”
Railway Secretary Selim Reza said, “We have started the work of setting up Mawa line from Dhaka at the field level as per the new plan. Even if the train cannot run with the bridge inauguration, the work of laying the train track from Dhaka to Bhanga will be expedited for the convenience of the passengers. This work will be completed by 2023.”
According to the project progress report, rail line construction on Mawa-Bhanga portion has achieved 71 percent progress and 43 percent on Dhaka- Mawa part. Project officials said they are not in hurry rather they are putting emphasis on sustainable construction work.
Although the deadline for construction of the 172-km railway project from Dhaka to Jashore is t2024, work is underway to launch the railway network from Dhaka to Bhanga via Padma Bridge by 2022. This will connect 21 districts.
Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on railways ministry ABM Fazle Karim Chowdhury recently told journalists, “We wanted to operate the train on the same day of the bridge inauguration. As it now seems not possible we are emphasizing sustainable construction work.”
The construction company of this project is China Railway Engineering Corporation. Bangladesh Army is working as a construction consultant.