Railroad on Padma built with robust flood resistance capabilities

FE Team | Published: June 24, 2026 23:36:33

China Railway Group Limited said that they had built the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project in Bangladesh with robust flood resistance capabilities on a flat territory highly susceptible to waterlogging and flooding during the rainy season.
The 172-kilometre-long rail line between the capital city of Dhaka and Jashore runs through the iconic Padma Multipurpose Bridge.
Calling the project an integral part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, the CREC said they had demonstrated high levels of technical expertise and management proficiency in the water flow management aspect of the project to protect the natural environment and maintain social responsibility.
Bangladesh has a subtropical monsoon climate, which is hot, humid, and rainy, especially during the summer months, when there are many daily rains of varying amounts, and the entire territory is flat, making it highly susceptible to waterlogging and flooding during the rainy season, said CREC.
The project team conducted a scientific drainage design based on a series of rigorous investigations and surveys and implemented extensive measures to ensure proper drainage throughout the railroad.
'These efforts have ensured that the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project will have robust flood resistance capabilities during its future operations, providing reliable infrastructure support for the development of Bangladesh,' said the CREC.
This also underscores the deep friendship and cooperation between China and Bangladesh and showcases the tangible achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative, added the construction company.
Scientific planning for a comprehensive flood control system
Narrating the initial stage of design considering the climatic and topographic characteristics of Bangladesh, CREC said it conducted a comprehensive hydrological study on 23 important rivers such as the Padma and the Buriganga, and 181 watersheds of different sizes crossed by the whole line.
CREC also investigated the important hydrological parameters such as drainage area, flow velocity, elevation of the 100-year flood level, and elevation of the 50-year flood level at each hydrological point.
Based on this investigation, the water clearance height of all bridges along the route exceeds the elevation of the 100-year flood level in the respective areas, while the clearance height of culverts exceeds the elevation of the 50-year flood level. The total length of the bridge is calculated at 30,526 metres by the CREC. All bridges and culverts in the project have been designed to meet flood discharge requirements.
Given that the project alignment traverses flat terrain and is situated in a tropical monsoon climate zone where summer rainfall frequently causes flooding, CREC, during the project implementation, responded to local residents' requests and actual site conditions by adding 66 new culverts and increasing the span lengths of certain bridges based on the original design, so as to enhance drainage capacity along the alignment. The project ultimately comprises a total of 273 culverts and 56 bridges, thereby ensuring sufficient drainage capability for the project's future operation.
Adhering to green construction practices
During the construction period, CREC said it maintained active communication with Bangladesh Railway, construction supervision consultants, field teams, and local villagers along the route to minimize the impact of construction on local water systems and the natural environment.
For example, bridges No.5, No.6, and No. II-114 have been built with trestle bridges to ensure the smooth flow of the existing river, said CREC.
It also said that steel truss girders were jacked to avoid the impact on the river and navigation under the bridges.
Besides, permanent drainage ditches were excavated along the embankment toe at each station and permanent drainage pipes were actively buried at the Keraniganj station yard to prevent the accumulation of water from washing away the farmland, and so on, added the CREC.
For the unavoidable encroachment of rivers and ditches, the CREC construction team buried enough temporary pipe culverts and restored the existing rivers and ditches immediately after the construction was completed.
Actively fulfilling social responsibilities
During the rainy season, the construction team also helped the villagers along the route to dredge and excavate drainage ditches resolving the flooding problem for the local villagers, It demonstrated CREC's social responsibility, said CREC.