Ganga rail–road bridge

Ganga rail–road bridge
Coordinates 25°40′05″N 85°06′30″E / 25.6681°N 85.1083°E / 25.6681; 85.1083
Crosses Ganges
Locale Patna–Sonepur
Characteristics
Design K-truss bridge
Total length 4,556 metres (14,948 ft)
Width 10 metres (33 ft)
Number of spans 36
History
Construction begin 2003
Construction end February 2016
Opened 2 February 2016

Ganga rail–road bridge (Hindi: गंगा रेल-सड़क सेतु) or Digha–Sonepur rail–road bridge is a bridge across river Ganges, connecting Digha Ghat in Patna and Pahleja Ghat in Sonepur in the Indian state of Bihar.[1][2] Upon completion in March 2017, the bridge would provide easy roadway and railway link between northern and southern parts of Bihar. Regularly scheduled passenger rail service was inaugurated on this route on 3 February 2016. This is second railway bridge in Bihar after Rajendra Setu that connects North Bihar to South Bihar.[3] The road part is still incomplete. Indian railways has constructed two railway stations on either sides of the bridge- Patliputra Junction railway station(PPTA) and PahlejaGhat railway station(PHLG).

The project

Patliputra and Pahleja Ghat station on both sides of bridge

Rajendra Setu was the only bridge that carried railway tracks across the Ganges in the state of Bihar till 3rd February 2016. It was opened in 1959.[4][5][6]

The Digha–Sonpur Ganga bridge was initially sanctioned as a rail bridge; the project was converted to a rail-cum-road bridge in 2006. Total cost of the project was put at ₹13,890 million, out of which ₹8,350 million was for the rail part, and ₹5,540 million was for the road part. It was expected to be completed in five years.[7]

When completed, the 4,556 metres (14,948 ft) bridge would be amongst the longer bridges in India.[8] The total length of construction, including approaches, would be 20 km.[9] It would be a K-truss bridge.[10] There will be two rail tracks (up and down tracks) and a four-lane road (two carriage ways in each direction).

The Digha–Sonpur Ganga bridge is now complete. The first commercial run on the Digha–Sonepur rail bridge took place on 3 February 2016.[11] Digha-Sonepur rail bridge was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 March 2016.[12] The second rail track is still to be laid, and although the road on the bridge is complete, the approach roads on both ends are incomplete due to delay in land acquisition.

Politicking

Ganga rail–road bridge (under construction)

In 1996, survey work for the proposed bridge was initiated by the Railways at three possible sites – Digha–Sonepur, Gulzarbagh–Hajipur and Ict Ghat–Sonepur.[13] Ram Vilas Paswan was then the Union Railway Minister and he lent his support to the Gulzarbagh-Hajipur site, as Hajipur was the constituency from which he was elected. Lalu Prasad Yadav, then Chief Minister of Bihar, lent his support to the Digha–Sonepur site. In the wake of the conflicting support of the political heavy weights, disturbances broke out at Sonepur. One person was shot dead. Many experts opined in favour of building the rail bridge adjacent to the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, the road bridge connecting Hajipur with Patna. However, political opinion prevailed and the Digha–Sonepur site was selected. Rs. 24 million was spent on the survey alone.[14] The bridge was finally sanctioned during the term as Union Railway Minister of Nitish Kumar, present Chief Minister of Bihar.[8] The scope of work was expanded when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Union Railway Minister.

Service

Regularly scheduled passenger service was inaugurated on this route on 3 February 2016. Initially, six services will utilize the bridge connecting Patna with North Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh. Diesel Multiple Unit trains from Patliputra Junction to Barauni Junction via Sonepur, Hajipur, Shahpur Patori, to Gorakhpur Junction via Chhapra, Siwan, Thawe and Kaptanganj, and to Gorakhpur Junction via Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Raxaul and Narkatiaganj are among the initial services.[15][16]

In the future, certain long-distance Patna-bound trains are expected to shift to this northerly route easing the burden on the heavily congested Mughalsarai-Patna rail line.[17]

Bridges across the Ganges in Bihar

The Ganges divides the state of Bihar in two parts. The mighty river makes communication between the two parts a difficult task.

The first effort to bridge the gap was Rajendra Setu in 1959.[4][5] The next bridge across the Ganges in Bihar was the 5,575 metres (18,291 ft) Mahatma Gandhi Setu, the longest bridge in India at the time of its commissioning in 1982.[18] It was followed by Vikramshila Setu near Bhagalpur.[19] The fourth bridge across the Ganges in the state is the Ganga rail–road bridge.

The Munger Ganga Bridge was formally opened for passenger trains on 11 April 2016.[20] The road on the bridge is complete, too, but approach roads on both ends are not even in initial stage due to lack of land acquisition. A fourth rail bridge over Ganga has been sanctioned at Bikramshila - Kataria with 18 km new rail line between Pirpainti and Naugachhia at cost of rupees 1601 Crore taking in consideration for access to north Bihar from Jharkhand by Jasidih Pirpainti new rail line under construction.[21] Construction of a double track rail bridge, 25 meter upstream from present Rajendra Pul was inaugurated on 12 March 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating Patna Lucknow Intercity express.[22][23] A 5.575 km long bridge Bakhtiyarpur-Tajpur Bridge is under construction which will connect Bakhtiyarpur and Tajpur.[24] Another 6 lane road bridge is already under construction at Patna connecting Kachchi Dargah in Patna and Bidupur in Vaishali.[25] The Arrah–Chhapra Bridge across the Ganges is also under construction which will connect Arrah and Chhapra.[26] A road bridge parallel to the existing rail and road bridge, Rajendra Setu, has also been planned.[27]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ganga rail–road bridge.
  1. ↑ "Million dreams".
  2. ↑ "Ganga bridge bonanza New projects to ease travel hassle".
  3. ↑ "Digha bridge: Only 10% rly track work remains incomplete".
  4. 1 2 "Rlys begins bridge renovation work". Times of India, Patna, 12 July 2010. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  5. 1 2 "Indian railways history (after independence)". Indian Railways. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  6. ↑ "Indian Railways’ Forgotten Frontier – Tribals Travel on Rooftops". Again in Bihar: 930 crore and 625 crore rail cum road bridges. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  7. ↑ "Enlargement of rail bridge over Ganga near Patna approved by CCEA". one india news. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  8. 1 2 "‘Rail bridge over Ganga would be nation’s pride’". Chennai, India: The Hindu, 13 October 2009. 2009-10-13. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  9. ↑ "Trains in India". PPPNOW.com. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  10. ↑ "Ganga River Railroad Bridge at Patna". Structurae. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  11. ↑ "Trains run on Ganga bridge, end 18-year-long wait".
  12. ↑ "NaMo flags off train to Lucknow".
  13. ↑ "Digha-Pahleja rail bridge gets go-ahead".
  14. ↑ "Digha–Sonepur rail bridge has an eventful past". Times of India, 2 February 2002. 2002-02-02. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  15. ↑ Kumod Verma (February 2, 2016). "Train to run on Digha–Sonepur bridge today". Times of India.
  16. ↑ Kumod Verma and HK Verma (February 3, 2016). "Trains run on Ganga bridge, end 18-year-long wait". Times of India.
  17. ↑ H K Verma (22 December 2015). "Saran residents await opening of Digha bridge". Times of India.
  18. ↑ "Mahatma Gandhi Setu the Longest River Bridge in India". General Knowledge Quiz. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  19. ↑ "Vikramshila Setu". Bhagalpur, Land of Art, Culture and Education. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  20. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Minister-flags-off-passenger-train-between-Begusarai-and-Jamalpur/articleshow/51784275.cms
  21. ↑ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bihar-gets-allocation-of-rs-3171-crore-in-rail-budget/1/605456.html
  22. ↑ http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-pm-modi-inaugurates-three-major-railway-projects-worth-rs-7000-crore-in-bihar-2188606
  23. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/New-Mokama-rail-bridge-likely-to-be-completed-in-4-yrs/articleshow/51385623.cms
  24. ↑ "Nitish inaugurates construction of Ganga bridge connecting Bakhtiyarpur – Tajpur: bridge to open in 2015". Bihar Days. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  25. ↑ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150824/jsp/bihar/story_38745.jsp#.VxDW_TB95dg
  26. ↑ Singh, Rakesh K. (2010-12-30). "Ganga link to connect Ara & Chhapra". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 30 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  27. ↑ "Four-lane connector over Sone, Ganga". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph, 8 April 2011. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-07-06.

External links

External video
Ganga Rail-Cum-Road Bridge construction, Patna
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