Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to inaugurate on October 10 the Dhaka-Bhanga train service through the Padma Bridge, to mark a new era of direct rail communication from the capital to the southern part of the country.
Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan told reporters on Sunday that the prime minister has given her schedule to open the service on that day. Prior to that, the Bangladesh Railway will conduct a trial run for a passenger train on September 7.
Under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, the Bangladesh Railway is building a 170km stretch of railway tracks from Dhaka to Jashore.
Project Director Afzal Hossain said three stations – Mawa, Padma (Jazira) and Shibchar – on the 82km Dhaka-Bhanga section will be commissioned on the opening day. The authorities will try to add Nimtala station as well.
The Bangladesh Railway will start plying a passenger train within a week of inauguration.
"Initially, a train will be operated. We have proposed to run trains on the Dhaka-Padma Bridge-Rajbari route. On the other hand, we have also proposed to run a train from Rajshahi to Dhaka through the Padma Bridge,” Afzal said.
“Major stations will be operational within three months of inauguration. The number of trains will also be increased,” he said.
According to the project office, the progress of construction of the Dhaka-Mawa section was 79 per cent, the Mawa-Bhanga section 96 per cent, and the Bhanga-Jashore section 76 per cent till July.
“Till this date, the overall progress is 83 per cent,” Afzal added.
The costs of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project were estimated at Tk 34,988.86 crore during its approval in 2016. The deadline for completion of the project was set until December 2022.
In April 2019, the project cost was increased by Tk 4,269.27 crore to Tk 39,258.13 crore. The deadline was also extended till December 2024.
