Dhaka:Railway Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam announced today that passengers can now travel from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar by train for Tk 685 in a Shovon Chair seat. This announcement was made during the inauguration of the new train, Mahanagar Provati, at the Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, with the introduction of Mahanagar Provati, the number of train pairs on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route will increase from two to three. The government aims to further increase this number to seven pairs to accommodate the rising demand from passengers.
The minister cited a shortage of locomotives and coaches as a reason for the previous inability to operate sufficient trains on this popular route, despite substantial demand. The new service aims to facilitate passengers with affordable travel options to the tourist destination of Cox's Bazar.
The Mahanagar Provati train will offer approximately 706 seats, including an AC Chair seat option priced at around Tk 1,311. This allows passengers to select seats According toir budgets and preferences. The Dhaka-Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway route is significant for both tourism and passenger transportation, and the additional train services are expected to meet the growing demand and promote rail travel.
Highlighting the government's plans for railway development, Minister Rabiul Alam mentioned ongoing initiatives to modernize the railway sector. These include the procurement of new locomotives and coaches, infrastructure development, and the implementation of new railway projects to improve service capacity and quality.
The minister expressed optimism that these initiatives would modernize commuter and intercity train services, expand travel options for passengers, and strengthen the country's railway network.