On December 24 local time, the inauguration ceremony for the full operation of the Padma Bridge Rail Link project in Bangladesh, constructed by China Railway Group Limited (CREC) with contributions from several subsidiaries, was held in Dhaka.
The Padma Bridge Rail Link spans approximately 170 kilometers, starting from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, crossing the Padma Bridge, and extending southwest to Jessore. It is a dual-purpose rail line designed for both passenger and freight use, with a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The project is divided into three sections: Dhaka to Mawa, Mawa to Bhanga, and Bhanga to Jessore.
The project is a flagship initiative under the Belt and Road Initiative and currently represents China’s largest infrastructure loan project in Bangladesh. It extensively employs advanced Chinese technologies such as ballastless tracks. Chinese-made rails, switches, sleepers, passenger vehicles, bridge components, steel girders, and communication systems were widely used, promoting the adoption of Chinese standards and products in Bangladesh.
As a vital component of the rail link, the Padma Bridge is the largest single bridge project in scale and cost ever undertaken by a Chinese company overseas. Located downstream of the Padma River, the main bridge spans 6.15 kilometers and features a dual-purpose, two-tier steel truss design, with a four-lane highway on the upper level and a single railway track on the lower level. After eight years of construction, the highway deck of the Padma Bridge officially opened on June 25, 2022, ending the reliance on ferries for crossing the Padma River. The bridge is affectionately known by the Bangladeshi people as the “Bridge of Dreams.”
