Cox’s Bazar’s rail connectivity is set to expand further, with Bangladesh Railway planning to extend the Dhaka-Chattogram route’s intercity Mahanagar Express to the coastal tourist city from the first week of October.
The move comes amid growing demand for rail travel to Cox’s Bazar, particularly during tourism seasons, weekly holidays and public holidays, when tickets on existing trains often become difficult to secure.
Railway officials said preparations are underway to extend the service, which they expect will ease pressure on existing trains and give passengers another direct rail option.
On September 9, Cox’s Bazar-3 lawmaker Lutfor Rahman Kazal raised the shortage of trains on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route in parliament, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin.
Responding to him, Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam said passenger demand on the route was high, but shortages of locomotives and maintenance facilities were preventing an immediate increase in services. He said two projects had already been taken up to address the problems.
Earlier, on August 1, Railways State Minister Habib Ur Rahid said during an inspection of the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar railway route that the government was planning to increase the number of trains from Dhaka and Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar in response to growing passenger demand.
Sujit Biswas, chief commercial manager of Bangladesh Railway’s Eastern Zone, said passenger demand on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route had been high from the beginning.
“Considering the demand from passengers, an initiative has been taken to extend Mahanagar Express, which currently operates on the Dhaka-Chattogram route, to Cox’s Bazar,” he said.
He said preparations are underway to launch the extended service in the first week of October.
The proposed extension will also change the train’s schedule. Under the proposed timetable, Mahanagar Express will leave Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka at 8:30 pm and reach Cox’s Bazar at around 6:00 am. The return service will leave Cox’s Bazar at 9:00 am, with the journey taking around nine and a half hours each way.
Currently, Mahanagar Express leaves Kamalapur at 9:20pm for Chattogram and arrives around 3:30 am. The train has 12 stoppages along the route, including Dhaka Airport, Narsingdi, Bhairab Bazar, Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria, Akhaura, Cumilla, Laksham, Nangalkot, Feni and Kumira.
Extending the service to Cox’s Bazar would give passengers from areas around these stations a direct rail connection to the tourist city, reducing their dependence on road transport.
At present, two intercity services — Cox’s Bazar Express and Tourist Express — operate between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar. Cox’s Bazar Express leaves Kamalapur at 11:00 pm and reaches Cox’s Bazar at 7:20 am, while Tourist Express departs at 6:15 am and arrives at 2:40 pm.
Railway authorities, however, are still reviewing operational and infrastructural issues before introducing the extended service. Officials are assessing whether any operational constraints could arise and how the train would be cleaned and maintained at Cox’s Bazar station.
Jainal Abedin, manager of Cox’s Bazar Railway Station, said they had not yet received any official document regarding the extension.
“If Mahanagar Express is extended to Cox’s Bazar, it will be good for passengers,” he said, adding that the station was already struggling to handle passenger pressure because the number of trains remained inadequate.
The Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route also faces operational constraints. Four trains are currently operated using a single rake, consisting of one locomotive and a set of coaches, often disrupting schedules. The route also lacks the planned addition of better-quality coaches, including air-conditioned coaches.
Kazal said demand for rail travel among both tourists and local residents was high.
“Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar is a very important route for rail travel. There is strong demand among tourists and local residents, while the number of trains remains inadequate,” he said.
Abul Kashem Sikder, president of the Cox’s Bazar Hotel-Motel Guest House Owners’ Association, said increasing the number of trains would benefit the tourism industry.
“Previously, tourist arrivals increased mainly during the tourism season, weekly holidays and public holidays. After the railway connection was introduced, the situation has changed considerably. Tourists now arrive every day,” he said.
He said stronger rail connectivity to different parts of the country would make travel easier for tourists and boost Cox’s Bazar’s tourism economy.
With passenger demand continuing to rise and existing services struggling to meet peak demand, the proposed extension of Mahanagar Express could add another important link between Cox’s Bazar and the country’s eastern and central regions.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdur Rashid Manik
