People's wait for direct rail connectivity between Dhaka and Jashore via Padma Bridge is getting longer as the project authority could not complete work within the last month.

Now, the railway authorities are planning to open the line in November, as it would take four more months to complete all physical works, said project officials.

Project authority yesterday placed the new plan before Railways Minister Zillul Hakim, who had announced in May that the line would be opened within two months, they said.

Bangladesh Railway is constructing a 169km broad-gauge single-line from Dhaka to Jashore via Padma Bridge at a cost of Tk 39,247 crore.

This is the biggest project for BR in terms of cost, and over half of the cost is being provided by China as a loan.

The original deadline for the project was June 2022 and the latest deadline was June this year.

The Dhaka-Bhanga section of the line was opened in October last year and five trains are being operated through this section.

While launching a commuter train between Dhaka and Rajbari on May 4, the minister said the Bhanga-Jashore section would be opened within two months.

The minister yesterday talked with the officials concerned to know the work progress and when the line could be opened, sources said.

Project Director Afzal Hossain, who was among the participants in the meeting, said they would require two more months to complete installation of the signalling system.

Besides, they would require more time to complete the works at Bhanga junction station and the TT Para underpass.

"We will be able to complete all physical works within October and then the line will be ready to open in the first week of November," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Asked about the previously set July deadline, he said, "We can now operate trains on the line without a signalling system. But the operation would not be smooth. Besides, we did not get manpower for the new line."

"So, we told the minister that the section should be opened upon completion of the entire works," he added.

Replying to another question, he said the project tenure has already been extended up to June 2025.

Contacted, BR Director General Sardar Shahadat Ali said the minister wanted to know about the update of the project and the project authorities informed him in detail.

Once the works are completed fully, the prime minister will inaugurate the line, he said.

Once the under-construction rail line becomes functional, the distance between Dhaka and Jashore will decrease by 200km, cutting the travel time in half. Currently, it takes over eight hours to reach Jashore.

The line, which will directly connect the country's two biggest seaports -- Chattogram and Mongla -- of the country, is estimated to boost the country's annual GDP by one percent.