First Ever Train Runs Towards Cox's Bazar

The pre-trial run on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail line began today as the first train left Chittagong Railway station at 9:02am towards Cox's Bazar on Sunday (November 5).

Railway Inspection Directorate Inspector Ruhul Quader Azad led by senior officials of Railway Eastern Zone were on the train. The officials will stop and inspect the project at various points along the route. The railway track will be declared fit for train movement after final approval and evaluation by the officials.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate this new railway on November 11. A trial train was scheduled to run on the new route on 7 November. But later the railway withdrew from this decision.

"We have witnessed history by taking the first train to Cox's Bazar. We are very happy," said Locomaster Mahfuzur Rahman and Assistant Locomaster Md Rukon Mia of the pre-trial train.

Talking to the journalists Railway Eastern Region General Manager (Additional Duty) Nazmul Islam told the reporters, "The general rule is that when a new railway is constructed, the railway track is inspected. This is also part of it."

The nearly 100-year-old Kalurghat Bridge was one of the obstacles for trains to travel on this route. The renovation work started on this bridge last August under the supervision of a group of experts from the Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Initially, the bridge was made suitable for railway traffic. On 4 November, 63-tonne, 78-tonne and 90-tonne train engine was tested on the railway bridge.

Trains can run on this line using the renovated bridge, officials said.

Abu Zafar Mia, the chief engineer of the eastern region of the railway, said, "70% of the bridge renovation work has been completed. The walkway and welding work is pending. But the train line is usable. It will take a few months to finish the rest."

According to railway, in 2010, a project was taken up to build a 128km railway from Dohazari in Chattogram to Ramu to Cox's Bazar and from Ramu to Ghumdhum near Myanmar. Its main objective was to ease the traffic in Cox's Bazar and also connect Bangladesh with Trans-Asian Railway including Myanmar.

Chattogram already has a railway line up to Dohazari for train movement from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar. 100km railway from Chittagong's Dohazari to Cox's Bazar is in progress. The initial cost of construction of this railway is estimated at Tk1,852 crore. In 2016, after revising the project proposal, the expenditure increased to Tk18,034 crore. Out of this, the Asian Development Bank is providing Tk12,000 crore and the rest is being borne by the Bangladesh government.

The construction of this government-priority project started in July 2018. Chinese contractor China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and Tama Construction Company of Bangladesh and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Max Infrastructure Limited of Bangladesh are doing the work in two separate parts.

Apart from the 100 km railway line under the project, a total of 9 stations are being constructed at Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Islamabad, Dulahazra, Chakria, Harbang, Lohagra, Satkania and Dohazari. Among these, the biggest attraction of the project is the iconic oyster-shaped station at Cox's Bazar. Not all stations will be operational before the inauguration.

Commercial trains will start running from 1 December.