Padma Bridge Rail Hyperlink Undertaking, Bangladesh

Bangladesh Railway, the state-owned rail transport company, is growing the BDT392.46bn ($4.55bn) undertaking with Chinese language monetary help.

The rail hyperlink will move by way of the Padma bridge, a 6.1km-long multi-purpose bridge being constructed throughout the Padma River. Building on the bridge began in November 2014 and is anticipated to be accomplished in 2022.

The Padma Bridge rail hyperlink undertaking was authorized by the Bangladesh authorities in March 2016. The principle development work on the railway undertaking began in July 2018, following the singing of a mortgage settlement with the Chinese language Exim Financial institution in April 2018.

Scheduled to be accomplished in 2024, the rail hyperlink will join the Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur, and Narail districts with Dhaka and cut back the journey time to south-west Bangladesh by a number of hours.

Padma Bridge Rail Hyperlink route and design particulars

The 169km rail hyperlink contains 4 sections together with the 3km hyperlink between Dhaka and Gandaria, the 37km-long Gandaria-Mawa part, the 42km-long Mawa-Bhanga part, and the 87km-long Bhanga Junction-Jessore part. The undertaking additionally consists of 43.2km of loop and siding line, bringing the overall monitor size to 215.2km.

The PBRLP entails 66 main bridges together with the 6.1km-long Padma bridge, in addition to 244 minor bridges, one underpass, and 29 stage crossings alongside the route. The overall size of bridges alongside the route can be greater than 30km whereas the overall size of viaducts can be 23.7km.

The Padma bridge, which falls throughout the Mawa-Bhanga part of the rail hyperlink undertaking, will join Mawa to the prevailing community of the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway by way of the Bhanga-Faridpur-Pachuria-Rajbari rail line.

The rail hyperlink undertaking additionally consists of the development of 14 new station buildings, the remodelling of six present station buildings, and the set up of computer-based railway relay interlocked signalling and telecommunications techniques for 20 stations.

Padma multipurpose bridge particulars

The Padma bridge can have two decks. A single-track broad-gauge railway monitor can be on the decrease deck whereas the higher deck will home a four-lane freeway.

The 6.1km-long and 21.1m-wide bridge contains 41 spans, every 150m lengthy, and 41 piers, every supported by six 128m-long and 3m-diameter metal tube piles.

Utilities passing by way of the bridge will embody a gasoline pipeline, an influence transmission line, and an optic-fibre cable.

Advantages of the Padma Bridge rail hyperlink undertaking

The rail hyperlink undertaking will enhance accessibility between Dhaka and the central and south-western areas of Bangladesh.

The alternate route offered by the undertaking can be 212km shorter than the prevailing Dhaka-Jessore-Khulna railway line. The brand new route may even not have any velocity or load restrictions and willallow Bangladesh Railway to introduce nationwide and regional broad-gauge container prepare providers.

The rail hyperlink may even create a chance to construct a second line within the route to attach Barisal and the Payra Deep Sea Port.

Financing for the Padma Bridge rail hyperlink undertaking

China is financing 85% of the undertaking price whereas the remaining 15% can be borne by the Authorities of Bangladesh.

The Financial Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance of the Authorities of Bangladesh signed a $2.67bn mortgage settlement for the undertaking in April 2018.

Contractors concerned

China Railway Engineering Company (CREC) and 12 of its subsidiaries are engaged within the development of the Padma Bridge rail hyperlink undertaking.

CREC contracted CRRC Tangshan, a rolling inventory producer in China, to provide 100 broad-gauge passenger carriages, together with their spares and associated providers, for the undertaking in Could 2021.

China Main Bridge Engineering, a subsidiary of CREC, was contracted for the development of the Padma multipurpose bridge.

AECOM, an expert and engineering providers firm based mostly within the US, offered the design of the Padma bridge, which was licensed and finalised by Flint & Neill Restricted UK (now COWI).

Ringtech, a development contractor based mostly in Bangladesh, was subcontracted by CREC to finish the remaining bridges, culverts, and underpass for the undertaking in 2020.

The Corps of Engineers of Bangladesh Military was appointed as the development supervision guide for the undertaking in January 2017.

Skilled providers agency SMEC and its wholly-owned subsidiary ACE Consultants had been contracted by the Corps of Engineers of Bangladesh Military to offer development supervision consultancy providers for the Padma Bridge rail hyperlink undertaking in July 2017.

Bashundhara Cement, a subsidiary of Bangladeshi conglomerate Bashundhara Group, secured a contract from CREC in Could 2019 to provide 700,000t of cement for the development of the undertaking.

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