Deadly Koidanga Rail Bridge
<i>Roof passengers now made to get down for safety</i>
Railway authorities have taken safety measures at Koidanaga Rail Bridge in Bhangura upazila under the district to prevent deadly accidents at the spot where around 200 roof passengers died after being hit by the girders of the rail bridge in last 10 years.
Most of the accidents occurred during the Eid holidays that see huge rush of passengers, railway sources said.
"As part of the measures taken from Wednesday, all the trains stop before entering the bridge. After the roof passengers are made to get down, the train moves very slowly, at 5 km per hour, to cross the bridge,” said Md Abul Kalam Azad, additional superintendent of GRP police, Western Zone.
A police team in addition to railway policemen has been deployed there for the purpose. As it is not possible to check rush of passengers, including those traveling on the roof, during the Eid holidays, we have taken proper initiative to save them from accidents at Koidanga bridge,” he said.
However, the time consuming process cannot be maintained at night when trains move more frequently, said Md Siddikur Rahman, stationmaster of Sharatnagar rail station.
"At night when a train comes near the bridge and its speed slows down, the roof passengers are asked through a loudspeaker to keep lying down carefully until the train crosses the bridge safely. On Wednesday night four trains carrying huge passengers, both inside compartments and on the roof, safely crossed Koidanga bridge,” he said.
Roof passengers are often hit by the girders as the space between the rail line and girders of Koidanaga rail bridge is 14 feet and 10 inches while height of a train is 13 feet, said Md Salim Rouf, bridge engineer of Pakshey Division of Bangladesh Railway.
“Twenty intercity trains, including ten up and ten down, use Koidanga bridge daily to maintain train communication between the capital and southern and northern districts. Many passengers take illegal ride on the train roof and risk their life, especially at the rail bridges with low height," said Sujit Kumar, divisional traffic officer of Pakshey Division of Bangladesh Railway.
Earlier on July 13, The Daily Star ran a report titled 'Deadly girders of a rail bridge' on the matter.
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