Sun News Desk : Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today inaugurated the Dhaka-Bhanga railway line which runs over Padma Bridge.

Read more : Poet Asad Chowdhury no more

PM opened the rail route unveiling a plaque by pressing a button at the digital method at a civic rally at Mawa Railway Station in Munshiganj on Tuesday.

Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen and local MP (Munshiganj-2) Sagufta Yasmin Emily spoke on the occasion, while Railways Secretary Dr Md Humayun Kabir delivered the welcome speech.

Read more : PM opens 3rd terminal

After formal unveiling of the newly built railway line over the country's longest bridge, the prime minister boarded a special inauguration train to travel to Bhanga, where she was greeted by thousands of jubilant people.

The work on the construction of the railway line was launched by the prime minister on October 14 last year.

Read more : PM returns home

The distance from Dhaka to Bhanga is about 82 kilometres. The new railway line from Gandaria in Dhaka has been added to the Padma Bridge via Keraniganj.

Trains will be able to run from Kamalapur to Bhanga via Gandaria along the Dhaka-Narayanganj railway line.

Read more : Dr Yunus, 12 others summoned

Under the project, 100 modern passenger coaches have already been purchased. New trains will be introduced by decorating the rakes with them.

The Padma Bridge rail link project was approved on May 3, 2016. At that time, its construction cost was estimated to be around Tk 34,989 crore. When the project proposal was amended on May 22, 2018, the cost increased to Tk 39,247 crore. The cost may increase further, according to concerned authorities.

Read more : Earthquake jolts in Bangladesh

The Padma Bridge rail link project is being constructed with Chinese funding, on the basis of G2G (government to government). Chinese contractor China Railway Engineering Group (CREC) is working on the project. China's Exim Bank is providing a loan of $ 266.79 crore to implement the project.

Sun News/MR

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurate Railway Padma bridge

Copyright © Sunnews24x7

Tweet

PM to address media Tuesday

PM to join Modi’s swearing ceremony

Ekushey Book Fair begins today

Advance train ticket from Jun 2