First Trial Train Runs on Bangabandhu Railway Bridge
The long-awaited dream of the people of northern Bangladesh has come true with the first trial train running on the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Railway Bridge, built over the Jamuna River. Authorities have announced that the official inauguration of the bridge will take place in January 2025.
On Tuesday morning (November 26), one of the trial trains reached the western side of Sirajganj from the eastern side of Bhuanpur, Tangail, while another train traveled in the opposite direction. The two trial trains, consisting of two engines and three carriages, ran along the bridge.
The trains initially ran at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, and gradually their speed is being increased. One of the official of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Railway Bridge project, informed that the construction of the bridge has already been completed. They have now started running trial trains on the bridge, and the official inauguration will take place in January. However, even after the inauguration, it will take about two more months for the trains to reach their full speed.
It is noteworthy that after the opening of the Bangabandhu Bridge in 1998, rail communication between Dhaka and the northwestern region was established. However, in 2008, cracks appeared in the bridge, which led to a reduction in the speed limit of trains. Currently, about 38 trains cross the bridge daily at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, leading to delays and schedule disruptions, along with increasing passenger inconvenience. To resolve these issues, the government decided to build a separate railway bridge over the Jamuna River. Construction of the bridge, which cost 16,780.96 crore Taka, began in August 2020.
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