A trial run of the newly completed railway line on Dohazari-Cox's Bazar route is set to be conducted on October 15.
The trial train has already arrived at Chittagong's Patiya railway station. Each compartment of this train can accommodate up to 60 passengers, said Dohazari-Cox's Bazar Railway Project Director Mofizur Rahman.
He added that 88% of the 101km railway from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar has been completed. The remaining work is scheduled for completion this month.
Sources said that the inauguration date is contingent on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's availability.
Due to shortages of manpower, engines, and coaches, the office of the general manager of the East Zone of Bangladesh Railway has proposed initially operating only one pair of trains -- meaning a train will travel from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar via Chittagong.
According to the proposed schedule, the train would depart from Dhaka at night and arrive in Cox's Bazar the following morning, returning to Dhaka the next day.
A railway official said commencing passenger train services before December would pose a challenge.
Currently, six inter-city trains operate between Dhaka and Chittagong, and they could be extended to Cox's Bazar with the new route.As the required manpower, engines, and carriages are presently unavailable, it may take a few years to reap the full benefits of the Tk15,000 crore project
According to the railway authorities, there is a possibility of trains operating at speeds of up to 140 km per hour on the newly constructed Dohazari-Cox's Bazar railway line. These trains will consist of brand-new coaches acquired from China.
The 20-axle load trains are unsuitable for crossing Kalurghat Bridge. To address this, the Bangladesh Railway has inked an agreement with contractor Max Infrastructure to renovate the bridge at a cost of Tk43 crore.
Project sources said 39 bridges, 242 culverts, and 144 level crossings have been completed, so far.
The construction of six railway stations out of nine has been completed. The three other stations will be completed by next December.
The work on the remaining stations is ongoing in full swing, according to officials.
The nine stations on the 100km route will be located at Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazra, Eidgao, Ramu, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ukhiya, and Gumdhum.
Running from Dohazari in Chittagong to Cox's Bazar via Ramu, the railway has been expanded to Ghumdhum border near Myanmar. The government has also initiated a 128km railway project from Cox's Bazar to Myanmar.
The primary goal is to introduce high-speed tourist trains between Dhaka, Chittagong, and Cox's Bazar, while also linking Bangladesh with the Trans-Asian Railway, including Myanmar.
The current construction phase focuses solely on the Dohazari-Cox's Bazar section, with the 28-kilometre stretch from Cox's Bazar to Myanmar not presently under construction.
