Padma Bridge to have single track broad-gauge line

FHM Humayan Kabir
Investment in the Padma Bridge construction is going to be swelled further as nearly half a billion dollars’ worth railway track will be set up for completing full-fledged rail-cum-road facilities on the massive structure by 2014, officials said.

A communications ministry official said they have undertaken a fresh scheme at a cost of US$ 435 million to set up a 42-kilometre single track broad-gauge rail line on the Padma Bridge.

“The US$ 2.9 billion Padma Bridge construction project had no rail line on the bridge. The fresh project for constructing a rail track will fulfil the rail-cum-road facilities there,” a senior ministry official said.

The government will construct the 6.15-kilometre-long Padma Bridge on the mighty river Padma at a cost of $2.9 billion, keeping provisions for railway.

“The construction of the rail-cum-road bridge is expected to be completed by 2014. Now, the government has directed us to set up the railway line so that the train communications can also be set up from the opening day of the bridge’s operation,” the official said.

A single track broad-gauge railway line will be installed from Mawa to Bhanga on the Padma Bridge which will set up rail communications between the developed region of Dhaka and the relatively lagging southwestern zone.

Another two projects for setting up railway line from Dhaka to Mawa and Bhanga to Jessore will also be undertaken soon to complete the inter-regional communications through the country’s largest bridge.

“The Padma Bridge will not only be a connector between the central Dhaka and the country’s southwestern region, but it also will be an important transport route for the South Asian nations in this sub-continent,” a planning ministry official said.

He said the route is likely to connect the proposed Trans Asian Railway to connect the western world with the eastern part of the globe.

The proposed Mawa-Bhanga rail line on the Padma Bridge is expected to get financial support from the Asian Development Bank, the communications ministry official said.

“We are discussing with the ADB about getting fund confirmation for the project,” he said.

“In the meantime, we have sent the project proposal to the planning commission for getting approval of the government’s highest economic policy making body –ECNEC,” the official added.

The ADB is also providing $615 million fund for constructing the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge.

Besides, the World Bank will invest $1.20 billion, Japan $420 million and the Islamic Development Bank $140 million in funds for building the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge.

The communications ministry officials said, “We are also trying to prepare two other projects for setting up the Dhaka-Mawa rail line and the Bhanga-Kashiani-Narail-Jessore rail line to complete the entire railway connection through the Padma Bridge.”

thefinancialexpress

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