Tangail Correspondent

The 4.8 kilometers long dual- gauge double line Jamuna Railway Bridge has been inaugurated formally today marking a major advancement in the country's rail connectivity.

With the opening of the bridge, trains can now travel at speeds of up to 120 km/h, extensively enhancing rail connectivity between Dhaka and the northwestern region of the country.

Railway secretary M Fahimul Islam inaugurated the longest railway bridge in a simple ceremony held at Imbrahimabad railway station in Tangail as the chief guest.

Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka SAIDA Shinichi and Director General of South Asia Department of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Ito Teruyuki attended the function as the special guests.

The Jamuna railway bridge constructed at a cost of over Taka 16,780 crore and it will save travel time for more than half an hour during journey between Dhaka, Rajshahi and Rangpur.

Earlier, the railway communication was connected over the river of Jamuna but the bridge was mainly constructed for the road communication and that's why the Jamuna Bridge was not viable for quick railway communication.

As a result, the railway communication was very slow during the crossing of the bridge and that's why excessive time was required during the rail journey between the capital Dhaka and Rajshahi- Rangpur divisions.

But the inauguration of the newly constructed Jamuna Railway Bridge, the train will now cross the bridge with a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour and it will reduce the overall communication time significantly.

The bridge was constructed on 50 pillars and 49 spans. The life expectancy of the bridge has been ascertained minimum 100 years.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) first, on 6 December 2016, approved the construction project of the bridge.

For this, the Bangladesh government undertook the project at a cost of Tk 9,734 crore, of which Japan's development cooperation organization - Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Tk 7,724 crore. The project was scheduled to be implemented by December 2023.

However, in the next revised project, the deadline was extended by two years to December 2025.

At the same time, the project cost was increased from Tk 9,734 crore to Tk 16,781 crore. Of the cost, 27.60 percent was financed domestically, while 72.40 percent came from a JICA loan. Bangladesh Railway implemented the project.

Additionally, the project included construction of a 7.6 km double-line railway approach embankment, 30.73 km of dual-gauge track, 16 viaducts, and renovation of the East and West stations and yards of Jamuna Bridge.

According to the authorities, at least 88 trains will be able to cross the railway bridge at high speed and uninterruptedly, significantly improving rail connectivity in the region. This bridge can accommodate broad-gauge trains traveling at 120km/h and meter-gauge trains moving at 100km/h.

"The railway communication over the river Jamuna now will require less time compare to earlier and it will save time from both side", said Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Railway Afzal Hossain.