Rail communications await a boost for both passenger and freight haulage as the newly constructed Bhanga-Jashore line and dedicated rail-bridge over the Jamuna river are ready for opening in next two months.
Officials are upbeat about the prospects as the rail line linking the Padma Multipurpose Bridge in the southwest and the rail-bridge connecting Bangladesh's north and northwest over the other mighty river, Jamuna, would open up new vistas of opportunities in respects of transport and economy.
However, sources say Bangladesh Railway is unlikely to reap full benefit of the two new infrastructures shortly after opening for lack of manpower, adequate carriages and locomotives and lack of double line from Joydevpur to Ishwardi.
Official sources have said the BR has been working to open the 27-kilometre Bhanga-Jashore line in mid-November and the Jamuna rail-bridge, named by the past government as 'Bangabandhu Railway Bridge', after December 22.
The new rail-tracks between Bhanga and Jashore have also been built in the last phase of the Padma Rail Link Project which is expected to reduce train journey significantly in south and southwestern region for reducing mileage about 100 kilometres to some district towns.
The Tk 392.47-billion PRLP was taken up to develop 215.22-km tracks from Dhaka to Jashore through Padma Bridge of which Dhaka-to-Bhanga section was inaugurated in October last year
Asked about the progress, project director of Padma Rail Link Mohammad Afzal Hossain told the FE that though exact time was yet to be fixed, it would be within November 10-15.
Project Director of the Jamuna Rail-bridge Construction Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman says, "All preparations to open the 4.8-kilometre bridge will be completed by December 22."
He says the new dedicated bridge will increase the speed of trains as crossing the Jamuna river will take five minutes instead of at least 45 to 50 minutes presently taken in crossing the existing rail-cum-road bridge.
The BR has been operating 38 trains through the existing Jamuna rail-road bridge at 20-kilometre speed and trains on both sides of the bridge have to wait 45 to 50 minutes.
The Tk 167.8-billion new bridge has been planned to replace the rail-cum-road bridge as the existing bridge was built for road option.
After the opening of the 4.8-kilomtre bridge, train-movement capacity in the region can have a boost to 88 kilometres but this can be increased up to 66 after constructing the double line from Joydevpur to Ishwardi. Though the BR claims train speed can be increased to 100 kms per hour, but none of its train can be operated at 50 to 60 kmph due to lack of double line, consistent metre-gauge and broad-gauge tracks in all lines.
Currently, the state rail operator operates Jashore-bound Benapole Express from Dhaka, Rajshahi-bound Modhumati Express, and Khulna-bound Sundarban Express, and Nakshikatha Commuter through the Padma bridge. The new line is built to operate at least 24 pairs of trains.
smunima@yahoo.com