Bangladesh Railway plans to extend the Dhaka-Chattogram route’s Mahanagar Express to Cox’s Bazar, potentially adding another train service on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route from the first week of October.
Railway officials said preparations were underway to extend the train in response to growing demand for rail travel to Cox’s Bazar.
Eastern Railway chief commercial manager Sujit Biswas said there was substantial passenger demand on the Cox’s Bazar route, prompting the railway to prepare for extending the Mahanagar Express.
“The extension will allow passengers to travel to the tourist city more comfortably and safely. It will also increase railway revenue,” he said.
Currently, two pairs of intercity trains operate between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, while another two pairs run between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.
The Mahanagar Express currently leaves Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka for Chattogram at 9:20pm and stops at 12 stations, including Dhaka Airport. Its stops include Narsingdi, Bhairab Bazar, Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria, Akhaura, Kasba, Cumilla, Laksham, Nangalkot, Feni and Kumira.
If the route is extended to Cox’s Bazar, passengers from these areas can also travel directly to the tourist destination.
According to the proposed schedule, the Mahanagar Express may leave Kamalapur at 8:30pm and reach Cox’s Bazar around 6:00am. The return service may leave Cox’s Bazar at 9:00am for Dhaka.
The journey would take around nine and a half hours each way.
At present, the Cox’s Bazar Express leaves Dhaka at 11:00pm and reaches Cox’s Bazar at 7:20am. The Tourist Express leaves at 6:15am and reaches Cox’s Bazar at 2:40pm.
Before extending the Mahanagar Express, however, the railway is assessing several issues, including cleaning and maintenance facilities in Cox’s Bazar and possible operational constraints on the extended route.
Meanwhile, questions remain over the quality of train services on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route despite growing demand.
Two pairs of intercity trains currently operate on the route, but four services run with a single train set, often disrupting schedules and inconveniencing passengers.
Passengers also complain that most of the coaches on the route are old. The lack of air-conditioned coaches and cabins has discouraged some passengers from travelling by train, they said.
The railway had planned to replace the old coaches with improved ones, including air-conditioned cabins, regular cabins and air-conditioned chairs, with around 750 seats planned for each train.
Railway officials, however, said they currently have no plan to replace the old coaches.
They said the coaches on the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route may be replaced in the future if new coaches are imported.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
