History:
In response to the demand of the Assam tea planters for a railway link to Chittagong port, Assam Bengal Railway started construction of a railway track on the eastern side of Bengal in 1891. A 150-kilometre long (93 mi) track between Chittagong and Comilla was opened to traffic in 1895. The Comilla–Akhaura–Kalaura–Badarpur section was opened in 1896–98 and finally extended to Lumding in 1903. In an effort to link this line running on the eastern bank of the Meghna with the rail system on the western bank of the Meghna, the Tongi–Akhaura line came up between 1910 and 1914. However, there was no bridge across the Meghna at that time.
Bhairab railway bridge:
The bridge over the Meghna River, popularly known as the Bhairab railway bridge, was opened on 6 December 1937, enabling passage between Dhaka and Chittagong.
In November 2011, the Bangladesh Railway signed an agreement with two Indian private companies for the feasibility study, detail design and preparation of tender documents for the construction of the second Bhairab rail bridge across the Meghna and second rail bridge across the Titas River.
The 1.2-kilometre long (0.75 mi) Bangladesh–UK Friendship Bridge, completed in 2002, carries the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway across the Meghna between Bhairab Bazar and Ashuganj.
