Ctg, Sirajganj rail links remain snapped

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Chittagong’s rail links with rest of the country, including Dhaka, remained suspended for about seven hours after a bridge adjacent to Bhatiari rail station along the Dhaka-Chittagong route subsided following heavy rain on Sunday, a railway official said. The train service between Dhaka and Sirajganj also came to a halt since last night following a train derailment caused by damaged sleepers in Sirajganj Sadar upazila. The service was reportedly restored on Sunday evening. Train services in Chittagong have been suspended from 11:00am to 6:00pm on Sunday as the bridge was damaged due to flash flood, said Abdul Hye, chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway east zone. Three Chittagong-bound trains have been stranded at sitakunda station due to the suspension of rail services, according to inquiry section of Chittagong Railway. “Train services have been suspended as the bridge was damaged due to flash flood,” said Abdul Hye, chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway east zone. He said the heavy rain also disrupted repair work. However, the service was restored at 6:00pm. The same bridge was damaged last year too due to the similar reason. The stranded trains are Meghna express, Udayan express and Karnaphuli express. Chief Traffic officer of East zone railway Engr. Mihir Kanti told The New Nation that 34 No bridge in between Kumaira and Bhatiary subsided under flash flood. Meanwile, rail communication between Dhaka-Sirajganj route remained suspended since Saturday night after two bogies of a container train veered off the tracks at Raipur Railway Station in Sirajganj Sadar upazila around 11:00pm.The derailment took place as some sleepers were damaged due to the torrential rain, said an official of divisional traffic office of railway in Pakshey division.The goods-laden train was going to Sirajganj from Ishwardi of Pabna. Following the derailment, train services of Sirajganj with Dhaka, northern and southern districts remain suspended till the restoration of the rail service in the evening.Operation to salvage the derailed bogies started 9:00am on Sunday and completed in the evening, said the official.Railway sources said that around 99 percent of total of 650 kilometres rail line under the west zone has become vulnerable due to the heavy downpour.It is to be noted that around 99 percent rail line in the west zone has been set up on different embankments and soil under railway sleepers are being washed away due to the downpour, added the sources.

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