Despite strong passenger demand, the limited number of trains on the Dhaka–Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar route means tickets are snapped up online the moment they are released, leaving many travellers without a seat.
Passengers say Cox’s Bazar tickets need to be bought at least ten days in advance, as they are almost impossible to find even a week before departure. They have urged the authorities to increase the number of trains and coaches on the route.
Officials note that the Dhaka–Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar line has faced heavy passenger pressure year-round since its inauguration. Comfortable and safe travel has made the train the first choice for both locals and tourists.
But only four trains currently serve the route, offering space for just 3,000 passengers a day. As a result, regular travellers are facing persistent inconvenience.
Farzana Rita, a teacher from Cox’s Bazar who works at a private school in Chattogram, told TIMES of Bangladesh that she has to buy her train ticket at least ten days in advance. “People usually don’t plan trips home that far ahead, so I often end up travelling by bus,” she said.
Sahab Uddin Shihab, a student of Chattogram University’s 2020–21 academic session, is from Cox’s Bazar Sadar. He began travelling by train once the service was introduced.
“Tickets for the two trains running from Chattogram can sometimes be found within a week,” he said. “But it’s almost impossible to get seats on the two trains departing from Dhaka.”
Shihab added, “There is heavy passenger pressure throughout the year, yet I don’t understand how the rail sector still shows losses. During the tourist season, getting a ticket depends entirely on luck. Online slots disappear the moment they open.”
Currently, two trains – the Saikat Express and the Probal Express – operate from Chattogram, while the Cox’s Bazar Express and the Parjotok Express run from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar. Together, these four trains offer a total of 3,014 seats, meaning they can transport more than 3,000 passengers a day if all seats are utilised.
Saikat Express has 743 seats across 16 coaches; Probal Express also has 743 seats in 16 coaches; Cox’s Bazar Express has 743 seats in 16 coaches; and Parjotok Express offers 785 seats in 16 coaches.
Railway data shows that 628,650 passengers travelled on the Cox’s Bazar route over the past three months. Of them, 201,548 passengers travelled in August, 205,431 in September and 221,671 in October.
Shafiqul Rahman, chief operating officer of Bangladesh Railway’s eastern zone, told TIMES of Bangladesh that no formal proposal has yet been prepared to increase the number of trains on the Cox’s Bazar route. “Many other routes are also requesting additional trains, but we are facing shortages of both locomotives and coaches,” he said.
Earlier on Friday in Chattogram, Adviser to the Ministry of Railways Fouzul Kabir Khan said that massive corruption had taken place in the railway sector during the previous Awami League government. He stated that the creation of project director posts had paved the way for large-scale irregularities.
He said major projects were taken up that lacked importance and served no public benefit, allowing thousands of crores of taka to be misappropriated. “There has been severe corruption on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar line and the Chattogram–Dohazari line. We are unable to take delivery of many of these projects,” he said.
“We do not have enough locomotives or coaches. Corruption was embedded in these activities, and we are now stepping away from them,” he added.
