Bangabandhu Rail Bridge renamed Jamuna Rail Bridge
This bridge will be inaugurated under the name Jamuna Railway Bridge, likely in January 2025
The name of the newly constructed railway bridge on Jamuna River, Bangabandhu Rail Bridge, has been changed to Jamuna Rail Bridge.
This bridge will be inaugurated under the name Jamuna Railway Bridge, likely in January 2025, Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain told the media today (22 December) at the Railway Bhaban.
Earlier, The Business Standard published a report regarding the proposed name change.
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Then, Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan hinted that the new name might be by the name of the river. The government has now officially changed the name.
The new bridge is being constructed 30 meters upstream of the existing Jamuna Bridge, which was inaugurated in 1998, connecting Dhaka to the northern and southwestern regions by rail.
However, structural issues have led to speed restrictions, causing delays and passenger inconveniences.
Currently, the existing Jamuna Bridge features a single-line railway. In 2008, the train speed was further reduced after a crack appeared in the bridge.
Trains now move slowly on this line; if a train departs from the East station, the train from the West station has to wait. Presently, around 38 trains cross the bridge daily at a speed of 20 km/h.
The new rail bridge, however, is a dual-gauge line, enabling both broad-gauge and meter-gauge trains to use it. Once operational, the bridge is expected to accommodate up to 88 trains daily at speeds of 100 to 120 km/h.
Initially budgeted at Tk9,734 crore, the project underwent revisions, bringing the total cost to Tk16,780.95 crore.
The main work began in 2020.
Of the total cost, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has provided Tk12,149.19 crore, while the remaining Tk4,631.76 crore came from government funds.
