Khairul Alam: In a historic milestone for Bangladesh, a train successfully reached a speed of 120 kilometers per hour on a test run across the Padma Bridge, covering the stretch from Bhangar in Faridpur to Mawa in Munshiganj.
The test took place yesterday, Friday, starting at 7:30 AM from Bhangar, with the train arriving at Mawa station at 9:06 AM, covering a distance of 60 kilometers at this stage.
The railway authorities reported that the train departed from Faridpur’s Bhangar Railway Station at 7:30 AM and arrived at Mawa Station in Munshiganj at 9:06 AM, achieving a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. Subsequently, at 9:30 AM, it left Mawa Station and headed back to Bhangar with a determined speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
At 10:40 AM, the train once again departed from Bhangar, this time reaching a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and traveled to Mawa.
Finally, at 11:00 AM, it returned from Mawa to Bhangar, achieving a speed of 120 kilometers per hour in this final leg of the trial run. This testing process will continue for the next two days.
Brigadier General Saied Ahmed, the project manager, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We have created history by running a train at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour for the first time in the country. Bangladesh has entered a new era of high-speed rail travel.”
On September 7th, the Padma Bridge opened for the first time for a trial train journey, traveling from Dhaka to Bhangar.
On the same day, Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujon announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate rail service on the Bhangar-Dhaka route via Padma Bridge on October 10th, and commercial rail operations on this route will commence shortly thereafter.