The trial run of a special train from Bhanga to Mawa via the Padma Bridge was successfully completed yesterday amid festivity on both sides of the Padma River. The initiative is a major milestone for cargo transport to and from the country's southwestern regions.
Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan inaugurated the trial run and was a passenger on the train, along with politicians and high officials, including Chief Whip of Jatiya Sangsad Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury, Water Resources Deputy Minister AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem, lawmakers Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, Naeem Razzak, Shagufta Yasmin Emily and Awami League Publicity Secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap.
The train began its journey in the presence of a cheering crowd at 1:21pm from Bhanga rail station and reached Mawa station at 3:18pm.
Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury Nixon, a lawmaker from Bhanga, expressing his enthusiasm for the initiative, said: “Not only people of Madaripur and Shariatpur, but also people of the greater southwest region are happy today as this is going to be the very first rail service in this region, which had been impeded by the mighty Padma river. The Padma Bridge has made connectivity easy with the capital Dhaka, and train services will bolster it more in the upcoming days.”
The train, with seven newly imported Chinese coaches, took 16 minutes to cross the 6.15-km Padma Bridge at a speed of 20 km per hour.
Inaugurating the trial run, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said: “Today, we are doing a trial run of the initial success of this project from Bhanga to Mawa via Padma Bridge. Hopefully, trains will run from Dhaka to Bhanga by next September. Next year, train movement will start from Dhaka to Jessore within the scheduled time (June 2024).”
Later, the minister along with officials concerned of the government and leaders and activists of the local Awami League and affiliated organizations left Bhanga for Mawa as passengers of the experimental train.
Besides, 100 new coaches are expected to be brought from China to ply Dhaka-Jessore route via the Padma Bridge, and 45 coaches have already arrived in Bangladesh.
Md Afzal Hossain, project director of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, said: “The 172km section of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project is divided into three parts. Of these, the progress of the Dhaka to Mawa section has been 74%, the progress of the Mawa to Bhanga section is 92% and the progress of the Bhanga to Jessore section is 68% completed. Overall progress is thus 75%.”
Brigadier General Saeed Ahmed, manager of rail link project-1, said: “The progress of the Dhaka to Bhanga section is 92% complete. Hopefully, we can start rail services from Dhaka within August.”
He also said that under the Padma Rail Link Project, the construction of 172km of railway from Dhaka to Jessore via Bhanga and Narail of Faridpur over the Padma Bridge is underway. The railway project is scheduled to be inaugurated by June 2024. Fourteen new stations and 66 major bridges are being constructed with this end in view.
Besides, six old stations are being reconstructed and 254 small bridges are being constructed. A hundred broad gauge rail coaches will be purchased under the project. Several coaches have already been brought from China. The cost of this project has been estimated at Tk39,246.79 crore.
The fast-track project was approved on January 01, 2016.
