Fare Hike Announced for Jamuna Railway Bridge as New Toll Takes Effect

From March 19, travelers crossing the newly built Jamuna Railway Bridge will have to pay higher fares. Bangladesh Railway (BR) has imposed an additional pontage charge or a fee for the construction and maintenance of the bridge. The bridge from Sirajganj to Tangail will improve rail linkage between Dhaka and the northwestern districts.

The increase in fare impacts more than 30 trains passing along the 4.8-kilometer long bridge. For instance, On the Dhaka-Rajshahi route extra fares are to be charged for different classes:

The hike is part of the recovery of construction and maintenance expenses of the Jamuna Railway Bridge constructed under a Tk 16,781 crore project with Japanese funding. The new bridge is likely to reduce travel time, cutting the trip from Dhaka to northwestern regions by two hours. It will also enable smoother and quicker train movement facilitating the movement of goods including heavy loads, more efficiently.

BR began trial operations in February and once the bridge opens fully from March 18, it will provide a much needed improvement over the capacity and slower speed for the bridge.

Although the fare increase might not be popular, the enhanced service and connectivity are likely to be of advantage to passengers as well as the transport sector.