Train to Run on Padma Bridge from Opening Day

Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Tuesday said train service will begin through the Padma Multipurpose Bridge from the opening day.

''The Padma Bridge will be inaugurated next year and trains will run on the same day from Mawa end to Bhanga in Faridpur,'' he said while inspecting railway connection work with the Padma Bridge at Mawa end of the project.

The minister said the Padma Bridge was the dream of millions of people and the constriction of this bridge is a great achievement of the country. The railway section from Dhaka to Jashore is 172 km.

''The Padma Bridge rail link project is scheduled to complete in 2024, but the government has taken initiative on a priority basis to start train service from Mawa end to Bhanga on the same day of inauguration in the next year,'' Sujan added.

He mentioned that activities are going on under the project’s own management during the corona and lockdown, adding, ''The overall progress of Mawa to Bhanga section stood 66 percent till April while the overall progress of the entire project is 41.59 percent.''

After inspection at the Mawa end, the minister went to the Jajira end of Shariatpur and saw the ongoing railway construction work from there to Bhanga.

Project Director Golam Fakhruddin Ahmed Chowdhury, Director General of Bangladesh Railway Dhirendra Nath Majumder, officials of the Bangladesh Army working on the construction supervision of the project were present during the inspection.