Country's longest rail bridge opens on Jamuna River

Highlights:

• With the 4.8 km bridge open, trains on Dhaka-northwestern route can run at 120 km/h
• However, it does not have a double track, so two trains cannot run simultaneously
• Over 70% of the Tk16,781 crore project was financed by Japan
• Its name was recently changed from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge

The much-awaited Jamuna Rail Bridge, the country's longest railway bridge was formally inaugurated today (18 March), marking a significant milestone in Bangladesh's railway connectivity.

The 4.8 km-long bridge features 50 pillars and 49 spans. With additional railway embankments and loops, the total railway tracks installed spans 30.73 km.

Following this inauguration, trains will be able to run at a speed of 120 km/h, revolutionising rail communication between Dhaka and the northwestern region, said Al Fattah Masudur Rahman, the project director of the rail bridge project.

Railways Secretary Md Fahimul Islam attended the inauguration as the chief guest at Ibrahimabad Railway Station on the eastern bank of the Jamuna Rail Bridge.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi and the director general of Japan International Cooperation Agency's (Jica) South Asia Department were present as special guests at the event, said the project director.

A new era in rail communication

With its introduction, railway travel time will be significantly reduced and fulfil a long-standing dream of better connectivity and economic growth for the northwestern region.

Previously, the Jamuna River had left Sirajganj and the northern districts isolated, depriving them of adequate development.

While the construction of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge in 1998 established both road and rail connections, cracks appeared in the structure by 2008, limiting train speeds to just 20 km/h. Since then, approximately 38 trains crossed the bridge daily at reduced speeds, affecting transportation efficiency.

To address this issue, on 3 March 2020, authorities initiated the construction of a dedicated railway bridge 300 metres upstream of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge. The foundation stone was laid on 29 November 2020, and piling for the first pillar began in March 2021.

Massive infrastructure and investment

Initially, the project was budgeted at Tk9,734.07 crore, but the cost later increased to Tk16,780.96 crore. Of this, 27.60% was financed domestically, while 72.40% was funded by a loan from the Jica.

Japanese company OTG and IHI Joint Venture implemented the project, with contributions from five major Japanese contractors. Over 7,000 workers from Japan, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh worked for four years to complete the bridge.

Railway operations to improve significantly

On 12 February, commercial passenger train operations commenced on the bridge when the intercity Silk City Express crossed from Rajshahi to Dhaka at a speed of 50 km/h in six minutes. 

Now, trains will operate at full capacity on both up and down lanes, running at speeds of 120 km/h.

Chief Engineer of the bridge project, Tanvirul Islam, said the bridge's state-of-the-art rail lines, installed with advanced Japanese technology, will allow safe and high-speed train movement.

Project Director Al Fattah Masudur Rahman added that the previous bridge had weight limitations, permitting only meter-gauge freight transport. With the new bridge in place, broad-gauge trains, which have higher demand in the region, will be able to transport goods efficiently.

This will benefit businesses importing goods from India, as they can now rely on rail transport instead of sea routes. Besides, freight trains of all kinds will be able to operate without restrictions.

He, however, noted that the bridge does not have a double-track system, meaning two trains cannot run simultaneously.

Name change

Initially, the bridge was named Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government in August last year, the interim government issued a gazette notification in December, renaming it the Jamuna Rail Bridge.

The official launch of the bridge is expected to bring economic prosperity to the region, improve trade logistics and significantly enhance railway transport efficiency across Bangladesh.