The Padma Bridge Rail Link, which aims to enhance rail connectivity between Dhaka and southwestern parts of the country, is set to be fully operational in mid-November.
As the remaining work on the rail link project worth Tk 40,000 crore is almost complete, train service through Padma Bridge will start on Dhaka-Jashore and Khulna route, sources said.
Currently, an 82 kilometre section between Dhaka and Bhanga of Faridpur district is in operation with four trains running on this route through the Padma Bridge.
Once the new rail route goes into full operation, trains
starting from Kamalapur Rail Station in Dhaka will touch Madhumati Bridge, Jashore, and Khulna city and Benapole.
Time of travel between Dhaka and Khulna or Benapole will be reduced by almost four hours. The time for travel to Jashore will be three and a quarter hours.
According to project sources, the distance from Dhaka to Khulna will be reduced to just 237 kilometres from 412 kilometres. Specifically, the distance from Dhaka to Jashore will be 169 kilometres, down from almost 240 kilometres. Once the new rail route is operational, passengers will reach their destination much earlier and will have comfortable journey.
Although Padma Bridge Rail Link is a mega project, only four trains will operate on this route, which experts believe is against the significance of the project.
Sources at the railway department say that currently, only four trains are running under the Padma Bridge Rail Link project covering Khulna, Jashore, Benapole, and Rajshahi.
Although two existing trains—the Chitra Express and Sundarban Express—are operating on the Dhaka-Jashore-Khulna route, one of the trains will now run on the new route. Additionally, Benapole Express will operate between Dhaka, Jashore, and Benapole. Given that the maximum travel time (up and down) could be up to 8.5 hours, the same train will make two trips per day, resulting in only four trains operating daily on the route.
Experts viewed that to successfully launch such a large project, it is not enough to just build the railway line. The number of trains must also be increased, they said. This requires acquiring additional engines and carriages, along with plans to operate more trains.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link project was undertaken in 2016. Sources say that on May 3, 2016, the then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during an ECNEC meeting approved the Tk 34,989 crore project to establish a rail line from Padma Bridge through Bhanga, Jashore, Khulna, and Benapole. The project was scheduled to completed in June 2020. In May 2018, the project cost was increased to Tk 39,247 crore, and the completion deadline was extended by two years to June 2022. Due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the project deadline was further extended by two years to 2024.
Project Director Md. Afzal Hossain told the Bangladesh Post that a date will be fixed at November 20 for the full-fledged launch of the new rail line from Dhaka to Khulna. The work on the signal system at Bhanga station is expected to be completed this week.
Once the Padma Bridge Rail Link is fully operational, trains will pass through the Padmabila Rail Junction, located near Jashore city. However, residents from the greater Jashore area have requested that trains should instead pass through Jashore Junction, as Padmabila Junction is located about 18 kilometres away from Jashore city.
Farazi Ahmed Sayeed Bulbul, Joint Convener of the Greater Jashore Rail Communication Development Shangram Committee, told the Bangladesh Post, "It will take almost an hour to reach the Padmabila Junction from the centre of Jashore city. Therefore, our demand is that trains pass through Jashore Junction instead."
The limited number of trains currently in operation has raised question about the financial viability of the project. As a result, plans have been made to launch eight new pairs of trains on four routes this year. These routes include: Dhaka-Jashore-Khulna, Dhaka-Jashore-Benapole, Dhaka-Bhanga-Gopalganj, and Dhaka-Faridpur-Darshana.
Ashish Kumar Dey, General Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads, and Railways, told the Bangladesh Post, "It is unacceptable that only four trains will run on this rail route built at a cost of Tk 40,000 crore. Before undertaking such a large project, other related things should have been planned and executed."
However, officials concerned could not make any comment on how the issue of shortage of engines and carriages for new trains will be resolved. It is, however, learnt from sources that a separate project is underway to purchase new engines and carriages. There is no information yet on when this project will be implemented.
Bangladesh Railway’s Director General Sardar Shahadat Ali told the Bangladesh Post that the rail link will be fully operational by the end of November. He expressed optimism that the reduction in travel time will benefit both passengers and the railway department.
On October 10 last year, the first phase of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project was inaugurated, with 82 kilometres of rail line between Dhaka and Bhanga opening. With the new rail line from Bhanga to Jashore now operational, direct rail communication will be established between Dhaka and Jashore over a distance of 169 kilometres. The distance from Bhanga to Jashore will now be 95 kilometres, and from Jashore to Khulna by rail, it will be 65 kilometres.
Sources have expressed concern that once the Padma Bridge Rail Link project is fully operational, passengers from areas like Faridpur, Kushtia, and Jhenaidah may be deprived of rail services.
In response to such concern, the railway director general said that there is currently a shortage of engines, carriages and trains. For the Faridpur-Darsana route, there is no arrangement of new trains.
About the launch of complete operation of the Padma Bridge Rail Link, the railway director general said that the date has not yet been finalised. Once the date is fixed, the guest list will be announced for the launching ceremony, he added.
As the Padma Bridge Rail Link project is a significant step forward in the country's rail infrastructure, experts laid emphasis on the need for additional resources, more trains, and effective management for it to be fully successful.
