Ancient railway bridges dangerous

The Sylhet-Kulaura-Akhaura railway route is 177km long and has some 250 large and small bridges, many of which were constructed as long as 70 years ago. Interestingly, not one of them has been reconstructed since then and many are facing decay with time. Given that these bridges were constructed in surroundings that are somewhat inhospitable, i.e. over hilly terrains and over rivers, their upkeep is of utmost importance as trains plying this route carry hundreds of passengers on a daily basis. Sadly, many have turned hazardous due to a lack of proper maintenance. We are fortunate that no major accident has happened recently, but that does not mean things can be allowed to stand as they are.

We are told by railway authorities that the foundations of some bridges have been weakened due to indiscriminate removal of sand from river banks and that cracks have begun to appear on some of the foundations of certain bridges. Often train services are suspended for long hours as emergency repairs are done.

All this points to a scenario that is becoming more and more unsustainable with each passing day. We dread to think of the consequences should a train derail on a faulty bridge. The factors contributing to the vulnerability of the structures need to be countered to avert any accident. It is high time that Bangladesh Railway undertook a major renovation project to make these bridges fit for trains to travel on.