Railways Minister Md Nurul Islam Sujan on Tuesday said that it will not be possible to introduce train on Padma Bridge on the same day, with inauguration road communication, if the railway section of the bridge is not handed over to the railway authority by next January.
“It will take six months to install rail tracks on the main bridge. If the Bridge Authority hands over (the rail section to the rail authority) by next January, train can run on Bhanga-Mawa route through the Padma Bridge on the same day along with the road,” he said.
While inspecting the railway links on both sides of the Padma Bridge, Sujan said that the Dhaka-Bhanga railway route will be launched on December 16 in 2022.
He said the Bridge Authorities is not allowing the railway authority to start the construction of roads, electricity and gas connections and walkways on the Padma Bridge before March next.
“And it will take six months to complete the work of the railway. As a result, it will not be possible to complete the work by June. That’s why there is an uncertainty about the inauguration of the bridge’s road and railway together,” the railways minister said.
Railways Secretary Selim Reza, Director General of Bangladesh Railway Dhirendranath Majumder, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project Director Md Afzal Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Police of Munshiganj (Srinagar Circle) Md Asaduzzaman, Louhjong Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdul Awal and Padma Bridge Executive Engineer Dewan Abdul Quader were, among others, present on the occasion.
