Dhaka-Bhanga train to run on Padma Bridge on 7 September

Train movement on the Padma Bridge will begin in October as trains will travel from Dhaka to Bhanga in Faridpur.  Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has been asked to for a schedule for the inauguration of the train in the last week of October. Prior to that, the railway authorities have decided on a trial run on 7 September.

There is an ongoing project for railway connection between both ends of the Padma Bridge. Project authorities have sought a train for the test run, sending letters to general managers of railways in both zones. The train is to be kept prepared on the day before the test run, 6 September.

Railway sources said that the plan is to run the trial train with seven coaches. The engine is manufactured in USA while the coaches brought from China are brand new as well. Railway minister Nurul Islam, members of the parliamentary standing committee on railway ministry, and top level officials of the railway will be travelling on the test run.

Earlier, when work of laying the stone-less rail line on the Padma Bridge was completed, a trial train was operated from Bhanga to Mawa end of the Padma Bridge. This time the train will go for a trial run on the entire route.

Railway sources added further that all preparations have already been taken for the inauguration of commercial train movement from Dhaka to Bhanga on the last week of next month. The outline has been sent to prime minister Sheikh Hasina, asking for her schedule in this regard.

Arrangements for the inauguration will begin once the prime minister has confirmed the date. However, the railway authorities haven’t yet decided the number of trains that will be operating daily on this route.

Railway director general Md Qamrul Ahsan told Prothom Alo that it’s a tradition to arrange a test run before the inauguration. And the tradition will be followed. As soon as prime minister Sheikh Hasina gives her schedule, it will be inaugurated officially.

The distance between Dhaka and Bhanga is about 82 kilometres. The new rail line starting from Dhaka’s Gandaria is connected to the Padma Bridge with a flyover via Keraniganj. Trains will be able to travel till Bhanga via Gendaria, using Dhaka-Narayanganj rail line from Kamlapur. Faridpur and Rajbari however had already have rail links to Bhanga.

The government in 2016 approved a project for the construction of a rail line stretched from Dhaka to Jashore on either ends of the Padma Bridge. Total 172 kilometres of main rail line with 43 kilometres of loop line (extra like on either ends of the stations) is being constructed under this project. Plus, 100 modern passenger coaches have been bought to launch the new train.

Progress rate of the entire project is 82 per cent and the authorities have a target of starting train movement on this route up till Jashore in June next year. Trains would be able to run at the speed of 120-130 kilometres on this route, as mentioned in the project proposal.

There won’t be any rail crossings on this route because underground routes are being constructed at every point where the rail line meets a road. There will be total 20 stations including 14 new and 6 old ones in between Dhaka and Jashore.

The Padma Bridge rail link project was approved on 3 May, 2016. The estimated project cost at that time was about Tk 349.89 billion (34,989 crore). Once the project proposal was revised on 22 May 2018, the cost shot up to Tk 392.46 billion (39,247 crore). Railway officials have warned that the cost can escalate even further.

This rail line is being constructed under Chinese funding on G2G (government to government) basis. Meanwhile, Chinese Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) is involved in the construction. Chinese Exim Bank is providing a loan of USD 2.67 billion (266.79 crore) for the implementation of the project while the remaining cost is being carried out by Bangladesh.

Padma Bridge Rail Link Project director Afzal Hossain told Prothom Alo on Friday night that all the preparations to inaugurate train movement from Dhaka to Bhanga have already been completed. There will be a test run on 7 September.

There could be more test runs before the formal inauguration. The project’s advancing with the goal of starting train movement up till Jashore next year, added Afzal Hossain.