STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The long-awaited rail line via the Padma Bridge is set to open today and is expected to help improve the southwest’s rail connectivity with the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the 82km Dhaka-Bhanga section at a programme at the Mawa station at 11:00am.

She is expected to take a train from Mawa to Bhanga with accompanying dignitaries and join a rally, organised by Faridpur district Awami League, at Kazi Abu Yusuf stadium there, sources said.

Bangladesh Railway is implementing the Padma Bridge Rail Link project to build a 169km rail line from Dhaka to Jashore via Padma Bridge at a cost of Tk 39,246.8 crore.

Most of the project’s funding has come in the form of Chinese loan.

The entire line, up to Jashore, is scheduled to be completed by next June.

It has already created scopes for bringing the Barishal division under the rail network, and once the entire line is completed, travel time to the south-western region via rail would be considerably shortened.

BR is planning to start commercial operation on Dhaka-Bhanga section from next month by changing the routes of three trains, BR Director General Quamrul Ahsan said.

The schedule for the trains will be introduced on November 1.

Quamrul said they are planning to operate the Khulna-bound Sundarban Express and the Benapole-bound Benapole Express via the Padma Bridge. The two trains are now being operated via the Bangabandhu Bridge.

He further said they were also planning to extend the route of Modhumoti Express up to Dhaka via Padma Bridge. It currently operates from Rajshahi to Bhanga.

Meanwhile, a special BR committee has proposed fares on the Dhaka-Bhanga route, which is much higher than the bus fares.

The seven-member committee, led by BR’s Chief Commercial Manager (east) Nazmul Islam, proposed Tk 350 as fare for non-AC seats and Tk 667 for AC seats.

The fare is Tk 250-300 in non-AC buses, while it is Tk 400-500 in AC buses.

Even though the distance from Dhaka to Bhanga is around 80km, the committee in its proposal said the route length was 353km after counting the 23km elevated section of the line. The “pontage”, the toll levied for the building or repairing of bridge, for the Padma Bridge was also counted.

The committee counted the 6.15km Padma Bridge as 154km and 23km elevated section as 155km, making the total commercial length of the route 353km, sources said.

The fare proposal is now pending with the railways ministry for approval.