Will halt intercity services if Ctg-Cox’s Bazar special train not made permanent: Civil society
Representatives of the civil society have said the two intercity train services on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route would be halted if the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar special train service is not made permanent.
At a press conference held at Chittagong Press Club today (23 June), they said a memorandum will be submitted to the concerned authorities tomorrow demanding to make the special train service permanent.
“If the issue is not resolved even then, we will take to the streets and halt the ‘Cox’s Bazar Express’ and ‘Tourist Express’ train services from Dhaka.”
Chattogram Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Saiful Islam told The Business Standard that he wrote a letter to the Bangladesh Railway to keep the special train running for another 20 days.
“I have asked to increase the running time of the special train considering a huge demand from passengers. No decision has been taken yet. I have not received any instructions to make the special train a regular service,” he added.
On 8 April, the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar special train launched to accommodate Eid-ul-Fitr travellers, was closed on 30 May due to an engine shortage.
The closure announcement drew the ire of netizens, many of whom alleged that the service was being closed down for the benefit of bus owners on the same route.
The special train, however, was relaunched on 12 June on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.
The train is scheduled to be closed from 25 June.
The 101-kilometre rail link between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar had been a long-awaited dream for residents of both districts. After its inauguration, Bangladesh Railway launched two non-stop intercity trains from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar in two phases in December.
However, Chattogram was initially excluded from the direct rail service, despite its proximity to Cox’s Bazar. To address this issue, only 110 seats in two coaches of each train were allocated for Chattogram passengers, sparking criticism.
On 9 May, the office of the divisional railway manager sent a proposal to the eastern headquarters of Bangladesh Railway to make the special train a regular service.
The proposal suggested operating the train twice a day, doubling its frequency. It also highlighted the train’s financial success, generating revenue of Tk51,25,362 in just 25 days (excluding 3 days when the train was not operational) from 8 April to 5 May.
