Experimental trains will run on Cox's Bazar-Chattogram route on October 15 and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the railway in December.

The newly laid railway line from Chattogram's Dohazari to Cox's Bazar is now ready for trains. Additional project director of Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway project Abul Kalam Chowdhury confirmed the matter.

According to Railway sources, under the project, a total of nine stations have been constructed from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar in addition to the construction of a world-class oyster-style railway station in Cox's Bazar.

Apart from this, overpasses have been constructed for the movement of wild elephants and wildlife in the protected forest areas; Which is the first in South Asia.

The government plans to start trains on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route this year. In the meantime, the construction of the railway line up to Cox's Bazar has been completed. The train will run on the tourist city Cox's Bazar route only after the rest of the work is completed.

A train has been kept ready at Patia station in Chattogram for a trial run. It has six compartments and a 2200 series engine. Each of these coaches brought from Korea can seat 60 passengers.

October 15 is the probable date for the trial run. On that day there will be a trial run of the train from Chattogram to Cox's Bazar. At present, the railway line from Chattogram's Sholashar to Dohazari is also being fully renovated. Railway authorities will transport passengers on this route after three to four months.

The cost of the entire project has been estimated at 18 thousand crores taka. Out of this, only 215 crore taka are being spent on the construction of Cox's Bazar railway station. Almost the entire project has already been completed. A little work remains.

The work of this project started in 2010. It will end in June 2024. This project will be completed in two phases. The train will run at a speed of 100 km per hour from Chattogram. For this, special coaches were purchased under the project.

In the first phase, a 100 km single-line dual gauge track has been constructed from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu. In the second phase, a 28 km single-line dual gauge track will be constructed from Ramu to Ghumdhum near Myanmar.

Abul Kalam Chowdhury, additional project director of the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway project, said, "We hope that a trial run can be done from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar between October 15 and 30."

“We will do a trial run in September but it will take another two to three months to go into commercial passenger transport. We are trying to start trains on this railway within this year. Initially, two pairs of trains will run. Later the number of trains will be increased.”

“Cox's Bazar will be the final destination of the trains that come from Dhaka to Chattogram. Apart from this, a completely new train will be launched. It will take a few months for the train to be launched commercially,” he said.

Abul Kalam Chowdhury said the fare of an intercity AC chair on the Dhaka-Chattogram route is 780 to 800 taka, here it may be up to 1200 taka.

Meanwhile, the construction of nine stations has also been completed. These are - Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara, Harbang, Chakaria, Dulahazra, Islamabad, Ramu and Cox's Bazar. These stations will have computer-based interlock signal systems and digital telecommunication systems. Construction of 251 culverts along with 39 bridges and underpasses have been completed on the railway from Dohazari to Chakria and from Chakria to Cox's Bazar.

Mofizur Rahman, project director of Chattagram-Cox's Bazar railway line, said that this time the renovation work of the railway line damaged by severe floods in South Chattogram has also been completed. I am working to complete the project within this month. Passengers will be able to travel to the tourist city of Cox's Bazar via Chattogram-Patia for the first time by train from the capital Dhaka in October. They can travel to Cox's Bazar by train with modern facilities at a low cost.

Six coaches and an engine of the train were brought to Patia station for the inauguration before Kalurghat bridge renovation work started in August, he added.

(The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on September 24 and rewritten in English by Tanvir Raihan)