Train journey risky as bridges shaky

The decades-old railway bridges on Akhaura-Sylhet route are in a poor condition as most of the wooden sleepers, banded clips, and nuts and bolts are damaged or missing.

Bamboo slabs have been used in place of the sleepers in some places as a makeshift measure.

The safety issue of train passengers has come to the fore following occurrence of several accidents including a fatal one on June 23 at Baramchal in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar, which left five people killed and over a hundred others injured.

The 179-kilometre-long Akhaura-Sylhet track crosses about 250 big and small bridges that were built during the British period, according to the engineering department of Bangladesh Railway (BR).

Abdul Karim Kim, convener of Songkhubdo Nagorik Andolon in Sylhet, said the railway bridges have become unsafe for train movement.

Under the Sylhet division of the East Zone of BR, the rail bridges, constructed on hills and rivers 60 to 70 years ago, have become unsteady due to a lack of maintenance and repair.

None of the bridges have been reconstructed since their construction.

He called upon the railway authorities to repair the bridges immediately to avoid any accidents.

Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon in Habiganj, said several bridges are now even more risky as there is pressure of water of the streams flowing from the hills.

Indiscriminate sand extraction from the rivers adds to the problem.

Sylhet Railway Station Assistant Station Manager Sajib Kumar Malakar said nearly 100 small and big rail bridges are vulnerable in the Sylhet-Akhaura section.

The authorities have set a speed limit of five kilometres an hour for the trains while crossing the bridges, to avoid accidents.

A few days ago, this correspondent visited a bridge over a canal about a kilometre away from Srimangal railway station of Moulvibazar. It was found that several nuts and bolts remained missing in the eight sleepers on the rail bridge.

According to the railway schedule, six intercity trains -- Parabat, Jayantika, Paharika, Udayan, Upaban and Kalni express -- ply Dhaka-Sylhet-Chattogram railway track twelve times a day. About 25,000 to 30,000 passengers use the rail route daily.

Abul Kalam, who lives near Srimangal railway station in Srimangal upazila of Moulvibazar, said there are at least 20 bridges between Srimangal and Kamalganj, more than half of which have been repaired with bamboo sticks.