New trains on Ctg-Cox’s Bazar route start from February 1

On the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar route, two regular trains, the Prabal Express and the Saikat Express, will begin service on February 1.

Kamal Akhtar Hossain, the assistant chief operating superintendent (ACOPS) of Eastern Railway, informed BSS today that the authorities of Bangladesh Railway had made a decision in a recent meeting in the capital.

The two new trains, “Saikat Express” (821/824) and “Probal Express” (822/823), will begin operating the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar-Chattogram route on February 1st, he said, with the goal of providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience for both tourists and residents of Cox’s Bazar and the surrounding areas.

Railway officials said both the trains will have 16 coaches each. The number of seats will be 743 and a total of 2,972 passengers will be able to travel every day except Monday.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, assistant chief operating officer of Eastern Railway, told BSS that although ‘Saikat Express’ and ‘Probal Express’ trains are non-AC, But there will be first-class cabins, first-class chairs and luxury chairs.

“It will take four hours to go to Cox’s Bazar from Chattogram. The train will stop at major stations. It will run like an intercity train. We will also add food cars on both the trains”, he said. 

However, he stated that when these new trains began operating alongside the normal trains on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar line, people, particularly tourists, were really thrilled.

The Saikat Express will depart Chattogram at 6.15 am and arrive in Cox’s Bazar at 9.55 am, while the Prabal Express will depart Chattogram at 3.10 pm and arrive in Cox’s Bazar at 7:00 pm, according to Golam Rabbani, Station Master of Cox’s Bazar Iconic Railway Station.

Conversely, the Prabal Express is scheduled to depart from Cox’s Bazar at 10.35 am and arrive in Chattogram at 2.15 pm, while the Saikat Express is scheduled to depart from Cox’s Bazar station at 8.15 pm and arrive in Chattogram at 11.50 pm.

Saikat Express will break at 8 stations. These are Sholoshahar, Janalihat, Patiya, Dohazari, Satkania, Chakaria, Dulhazra and Ramu.

The Prabal Express will break at 10 stations. The stations are Sholoshahar, Gumdandi, Patiya, Dohazari, Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulhazra, Islamabad and Ramu. These two trains will remain closed every Monday.