Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan has said train services on the Dhaka-Bhanga route will be inaugurated on October 10.
After that the train will run commercially within a very short time, said the minister after reaching Bhanga on a train operated on a trial basis on the Dhaka-Bhanga route through Padma Bridge on Thursday.
Work on this project up to Jessore will be completed in June next year, he told reporters at a press conference at Bhanga station in Faridpur.
Railways should be utilized to make full use of Mongla port, which will reduce cost and time. This rail link will contribute to the country's economy, said Sujan.
“If the trains running in Khulna are connected with this rail link, Mongla port can be fully utilized… Trade and commerce in the southern region will get a boost. Using this railway will reduce travel time and cost to and from Dhaka.”
The distance from Dhaka to Khulna will be reduced by half, said the minister.
He said people will get many benefits in communication and transportation of goods. The people of this region will benefit economically. Those who do business in Kolkata no longer have to transport goods through the Bangabandhu Bridge. If the Dhaka-Jessore railway is fully operational, this route can be used directly from Dhaka.
All districts will be connected through railways in phases, said the minister.
A passenger train was operated on the Dhaka-Bhanga route through the Padma Bridge on Thursday.
The Padma Bridge was inaugurated on June 25, 2022. On April 4, 2023, for the first time, a train ran through the bridge from Bhanga to Mawa on a trial basis.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate train services on this new route on October 10.
Through this, the long-desired dream of the people of 21 districts of the southwestern region of the country to travel to and from Dhaka by train will be fulfilled.