To accommodate the holiday rush during the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja, Bangladesh Railway has launched three pairs of “Puja Special” trains on the Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar route.
These special services will operate from September 30 to October 4.
According to railway officials, each train will consist of 18 coaches.
There will be 834 seats available during daytime journeys and 789 at night.
Ticket fares will remain the same as the regular Cox’s Bazar Express, though due to higher seasonal demand, AC seats will cost 30 percent more and non-AC seats 20 percent more.
The first “Tourist Special-1002” will depart from Dhaka for Cox’s Bazar at 10:30 PM on September 30. The following morning, on October 1, “Tourist Special-1001” will leave Cox’s Bazar for Dhaka at 11:30 AM and is expected to arrive in the capital by 8 PM. That night, the return service “Tourist Special-1002” will once again depart for Cox’s Bazar.
The exact schedule will be followed on October 3. The final trip of the Puja Special service will run on October 4, with “Tourist Special-1001” departing from Cox’s Bazar at 11:30 AM.
Tarek Muhammad Imran, Deputy Chief Operating Superintendent of Railway (East Zone), said, “The exceptional train service is being introduced to handle the heavy passenger flow during Puja.
All preparations have been made to ensure travelers’ safe and comfortable journey.”
Officials believe this initiative will make travel to Cox’s Bazar easier for tourists and reduce pressure on the country’s highways during the festive season.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
