Starting February 1, Bangladesh Railway will introduce permanent intercity train services on the Chattogram-Cox鈥檚 Bazar route, with two pairs of trains running daily.
The announcement was made on Monday through an official order, signed by Kamal Akhtar Hossain, assistant chief operating superintendent (east zone) of the railway.
Chattogram divisional railway manager ABM Kamruzzaman confirmed the decision, stating, 鈥楾wo pairs of intercity trains will now operate permanently on this route, addressing local demand. Previously, trains from Dhaka to Cox鈥檚 Bazar were permanent, while the Chattogram service was temporary.鈥�
According to the order, the Saikat Express will depart Chattogram at 6:15am and arrive in Cox鈥檚 Bazar at 9:55am. It will leave Cox鈥檚 Bazar at 8:15pm and arrive in Chattogram at 11:50pm. The Prabal Express will leave Cox鈥檚 Bazar for Chattogram at 10:35am and will depart again from Chattogram at 3:10pm, reaching Cox鈥檚 Bazar at 7:00pm. Both trains will observe a weekly holiday on Mondays.
The Saikat Express will stop at Soloshahar, Janalihut, Patiya, Dohazari, Satkania, Chakaria, Dulahazara, and Ramu stations while the Prabal Express will halt at Soloshahar, Gomdandi, Patiya, Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazara, Islamabad, and Ramu stations.
On December 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, two nonstop intercity trains were introduced between Dhaka and Cox鈥檚 Bazar. However, only two coaches were allocated for passengers from Chattogram, sparking dissatisfaction among locals.
To address the growing demand, a special train was temporarily launched on the Chattogram-Cox鈥檚 Bazar route during Eid-ul-Fitr 2024. Due to its popularity, it continued operating but had not been made permanent until now.
