Dhaka:Bangladesh Railway (BR) has launched a third pair of trains on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route, extending the Mohanagar Express service to the beach town, beyond its previous endpoint at the port city of Chattogram.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Minister for Railways, along with the Minister for Road Transport and Bridges and Shipping, Sheikh Rabiul Alam, inaugurated the extended route of the Mohanagar Express from Dhaka Railway Station at Kamalapur.
Previously, two train pairs, the Tourist Express and Cox's Bazar Express, serviced the 467.83 km route, which became operational in December 2023. State Minister Habibur Rashid, the Railways Ministry Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam, BR's Director General Md. Afzal Hossain, and other senior officials attended the service opening.
BR officials have stated that the Mohanagar Express will travel to the beach town via Chattogram, making stops at 12 stations, unlike the other two trains. The stops include Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Airport, Narsingdi, Bhairab Bazar, Ashuganj, Brahmanbaria, Akhaura, Kasba, Comilla, Laksam, Nangalkot, Feni, and Chattogram. The train's previous stop at Kumira Station has been removed with this extension.
The Mohanagar Express is scheduled to depart from Dhaka at 830 pm and arrive in Cox's Bazar at 600 am. The return journey will begin at 900 am from Cox's Bazar and conclude in Dhaka at 630 pm, with a travel time of 9 hours and 30 minutes each way.
The service will not operate on Sundays. The base depot for the train will be in Cox's Bazar, where watering and cleaning services will be conducted. The introduction of this third service is a response to increased passenger demand and aligns with the government's commitment to expanding intercity rail services as outlined in its election manifesto.