After a long wait, the country's longest 'Jamuna Rail Bridge' built over the Jamuna River is going to be inaugurated today. However, since it is a single-track rail line, the full benefits of the bridge will not be available immediately.
On Tuesday (March 18), Railway Ministry Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam will be present as the chief guest at the Jamuna Rail Bridge inauguration ceremony. The inauguration of the bridge will make rail travel between Dhaka and North and South Bengal easier.
The Railway Division has already made all kinds of preparations for the inauguration. As part of the program, guests and concerned persons will cross the Jamuna Rail Bridge in the inaugural train from the Jamuna Rail Bridge East Ibrahimabad Station to the Sayedabad Railway Station on the western end of Sirajganj at 11:20 am. There, a press conference will be held at the Sayedabad Railway Station at 11:40 am. Later, they will return to the east end of the Ibrahimabad Railway Station at 12 noon.
Trains will be able to run at a speed of 120 kmph over the bridge. However, from the day of inauguration, trains will run at a speed of 90 kilometers over the bridge in the first phase. It will take 3 and a half minutes. Earlier, it took 20 minutes for trains to cross the Jamuna Bridge.
The double-track bridge, built on 50 pillars and 49 spans with state-of-the-art steel technology, stands tall with a promise of durability for a hundred years, indicating the potential progress of Bangladesh.
Built with Japanese cutting-edge technology, this bridge is different from all other bridges in the country. The bridge has double tracks and two modern stations on both sides. There are gas pipelines and power lines under the deck of the bridge, which will play an important role in the development of North Bengal.