Online Desk  :  A trial run of a train was conducted across the newly constructed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River on Tuesday (November 26).The first trial train, consisting of an engine and three coaches, departed from the eastern side of the Bhuiyanpur section at 9:42 am and reached the western side in Sirajganj shortly. The train returned to its starting point at 10:41 am. A second trial train, also comprising an engine and three coaches, began its journey from the western side in Sirajganj, arriving at the eastern side at 10:20 am. It then departed for the west again at 10:29 am.

Initially, both trains maintained a cautious speed of 10 km/h, which was later increased to 40 km/h during the trials. The tests are a key step toward the operational readiness of this landmark infrastructure.  However, it will take another two months for trains to operate at full speed on the country’s largest railway bridge. The project director, Al Fattah Masudur Rahman, confirmed the matter. According to project sources, construction of the bridge began in August 2020 at an initial cost of Tk9,734.7 crore. However, the cost later increased to Tk16,780.96 crore, of which Tk12,149.2 crore was provided as a loan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica).

The project was originally planned to run from July 2016 to December 2023. However, the first revision extended the deadline to December 2024. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the project on December 6, 2016.