A second railway bridge is set to be constructed on the Ganga river in Munger, Bihar, as part of the doubling project for the Jamalpur-Munger railway line, costing approximately Rs 1600 crore. This initiative aims to enhance train movement on the 14-kilometer stretch.
The current distance between Jamalpur and Munger stations is about seven kilometers, but with the doubling of the railway section, the track will be expanded for 14 kilometers. The doubling work will extend from Jamalpur to Sabdalpur station, allowing for further travel from Jamalpur through Khagaria. The railway route will also be extended from Jamalpur via Sabdalpur to Begusarai.
In addition to the doubling project, a second railway bridge over the Ganga river in Munger is included in the Detailed Project Report (DPR). However, it’s not specified whether this bridge will be exclusively for rail or serve as a rail cum road bridge. The existing Munger Rail Bridge caters to both road and rail traffic, experiencing pressure from vehicles. The possibility of a dual-purpose bridge could alleviate this pressure.
It’s noteworthy that the current rail cum road bridge, known as Shri Krishna Setu of Munger, took around 14 years to complete. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid the foundation stone on 26 December 2002, and after various technical challenges, rail traffic commenced on 11 March 2016, while the road route formally opened on 11 February 2022.
Rupa Mandal, PRO of Divisional Railway Headquarters, Malda, stated that a DPR worth Rs 1600 crore has been prepared for the doubling project, including the second railway bridge over the Ganga. The construction is anticipated to begin soon after receiving approval from the Railway Board.