Bangladesh's largest railway Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (PBRLP) officially opened across its entire line to traffic on Tuesday.
The PBRLP, one of the significant projects under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Bangladesh, was built by the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China.
The railway, known locally as the "Dream Road," stretches approximately 170 km. Following its opening, travel time between the capital Dhaka and the southwestern city of Jashore will be reduced from the original 10 hours to just three hours.
"The new line is very smooth and very fast. Everything is good," said Munna, a passenger.
"The service on the train is excellent. I really like it. There's no traffic jam, and it didn't take me much time to get here," said Urmi Khan, another passenger.
"Thanks to this rail link project, which allows me to travel quickly, saving both time and money," said Samrat, a passenger.
The Bangladeshi government held a grand inauguration ceremony to celebrate the opening on the same day.
At the ceremony, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to Bangladesh's Ministry of Railway, described the day as historic as train service on the Dhaka-Khulna route through the Padma Bridge now offers a travel time of just 3 hours and 45 minutes.
"Today is an unforgettable day for us. The Padma Bridge Rail Link has reduced travel time between Khulna and Dhaka to less than four hours," said the adviser.
The railway is expected to significantly boost economic development in the regions along its route, directly benefiting a population of 80 million and driving Bangladesh's economic growth by 1.5 percentage points.
"This railway crosses a major river along a north-south route and connects five existing railway lines, significantly improving the efficiency of the entire rail network," said Shi Yuan, project manager of the Padma Bridge Rail Link, CREC.
"It is a very great achievement for our country, especially for the people of southern areas in our country. We are very grateful to China, the people of China who contributed to the development of our country," said Arif Rahman, a passenger.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link is a modern railway incorporating advanced Chinese technologies and equipment, such as ballastless tracks and automated sleeper production lines. At the peak of construction, over 10,000 local workers were employed, and more than 20,000 Bangladeshi technical workers were trained, effectively promoting economic development in the areas along the railway.
""I've learned so many things and I have a very good work experience with the Chinese people," said Ahmed, a Bangladeshi employee of the Padma Bridge Rail Link.
The rail link, which started construction in July 2018, has passed through the Padma Bridge, the largest of its kind in Bangladesh, built by the China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group. It will serve as a vital channel that connects Dhaka and more than 20 districts in the southern area of Bangladesh, and will also be an important part of the trans-Asian railway network to promote regional connectivity and economic development of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh's largest railway officially opens across its entire line to traffic
