Train service to N dists resumes early Sept

A temporary bridge is being erected at the breached portion of the Trimohoni- Balashi rail track. The photo was taken on Friday. PHOTO: STAR

All the five tracks from Trimohoni to the ghat were badly damaged by the recent flood as water inundated those and removed the soil underneath. Railway officials and employees worked round the clock and restored one of the tracks.

Restoration of passenger train service through the ghat is still uncertain but railway officials hope to open the service by the end of this month.

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A temporary bridge has been being set up on about 1000 feet stretch of the breached railway line adjacent to Balashi ghat by using RS Joist and CC Crips. The damaged tracks were virtually hanging with no soil underneath.

The Railway authorities on July 11 suspended train movement from Trimohoni to Balashi and also the ferry service between Balashi and Bahaduarabad ghats. The marine yard and adjacent outer station had reeled under about four feet water.

The emergency renovation work has been done with Railway's own manpower and equipment. The flood has incurred a loss of about Tk one crore to the railway, said a high official.

Over 2000 wagons loaded with essentials are now stuck up at outer stations of both the ghats.

Operation of two inter-city trains and one mail train from Dinajpur to Dhaka remained suspended as all the tracks at Balashi went under water.

Last week, the Ekota Inter-city was routed via Jamuna Bridge. The two other trains are shuttling between Dinajpur and Trimohoni.

"The emergency step to has been taken to restore the Trimohoni-Balashi section as at least 100 wagons loaded with essentials like fuel, food grain and fertiliser are stranded in the mid-stream (of Brahmaputra) on board four barges since July 11" said Divisional Railway Manager Emdadul Haque.

Additional General Manager (West) Musfiqur Rahman said, "We are not in a position to run passenger trains trough this section at the moment as only one track has been restored just to pass goods wagons.

"Passenger train movement will resume soon.

"We are expecting to restore direct train service between northern districts and Dhaka through Balashi and Bahadurabad ghats by the first week of September", he said

Initiative has also been taken to restore Dewanganj-Bahadurabad ghat in Jamalpur to resume train service between Dhaka and Bahadurabad ghat by August 25, said a railway source.

The Divisional Railway Manager said emergency renovation of tracks in the flood-damaged Kurigram-Ramna section is nearing completion. Train communication in this section will resume on August 15, he said.