23 July 2025
JFE Engineering Corporation
JFE Engineering Corporation (President and CEO: Kazuyoshi Fukuda, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), as a member of a joint venture with Obayashi Corporation (President: Toshimi Sato, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and TOA Corporation (President: Takeshi Hayakawa, Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), was awarded the contract in August 2020 for the "Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (Eastern Section)" (hereinafter "the Railway Bridge") in the People's Republic of Bangladesh (hereinafter "Bangladesh") and has now successfully completed the project.
Despite commencing construction during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the project successfully overcame numerous unprecedented challenges and was completed within the originally agreed-upon schedule. On 18 March 2025, an Inauguration Ceremony was held locally without incident, and the entire line officially commenced operations.
Of the total project length of 6,452 meters, JFE Engineering was responsible for the superstructure of the steel through-truss bridge, specifically the fabrication and erection of steel truss components for the 2,550-meter eastern section of the 4,800-meter segment spanning the Jamuna River. The Railway Bridge is a "dedicated long-span railway bridge" featuring a mixed gauge*1 system accommodating double-track, broad-gauge, and narrow-gauge railways. With the construction of this new bridge, the train crossing time over the river, which previously took 20 minutes, has been reduced to just 3 minutes. The opening of this bridge is expected to significantly contribute to addressing increasing freight demand driven by economic growth in Bangladesh and neighboring countries, enhancing transport safety, and improving the efficiency of the transportation network.
The project has also been recognized for its substantial contribution to the development of the engineering industry. It has been selected to receive the "Engineering Commendation Award (International Contribution Category)" from the Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA). The award ceremony was held yesterday. The project was evaluated for "remarkable achievements in the field of international contribution, including completion within the agreed schedule under extremely challenging circumstances such as a global pandemic and domestic political instability."
This project marks the third construction project undertaken by JFE Engineering in Bangladesh, following the "Kanchpur, Meghna, and Gumti Second Bridge Construction and Existing Bridge Rehabilitation Project"*2 and the "Western Bangladesh Bridge Improvement Project." Moving forward, JFE Engineering will continue to contribute to the economic development of countries worldwide through transportation infrastructure development in Asia, including Bangladesh, as well as in Africa, Central America, and South America.
- *1. Mixed gauge: A type of railway track designed to accommodate trains with different track gauges by installing three rails, with one rail shared and the other two laid according to each gauge.
-
*2.
See "Awarded the contract of the Bangladesh Kanchpur, Meghna, and Gumti Second Bridge Construction and Existing Bridge Rehabilitation Project" (Published 25 November 2015)
https://www.jfe-eng.co.jp/news/pdf/20151125.pdf(Japanese)
■ Project Overview
| Project Name | Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (WD1) |
|---|---|
| Construction Site | People's Republic of Bangladesh, Sirajganj and Tangail District |
| Employer | Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railway |
| The Engineer | Oriental Consultants Global Joint Venture |
| Contractor | Obayashi, TOA, JFE Engineering Joint Venture (OTJ） |
| Construction Period | Aug. 2020 to Aug. 2024 (48 months) |
| Outline of the Project (Overall) | New construction of a dedicated railway bridge with a total project length of 6,452 meters Steel through-truss bridge: 2,550-meter eastern side of the 4,800-meter segment (steel pipe sheet pile well foundations), land-based viaduct, trackwork, embankment works, station building construction, and reinforcement of existing river embankments |
■ Jamuna Railway Bridge
■ Project Location Map
Inauguration ceremony
■ ENAA Award Ceremony
For inquiries regarding this press release, please contact:
- Public Relations Section, General Administration Department, JFE Engineering Corporation