CHATTOGRAM, Sept 20(BSS): Bangladesh Railway (BR) has announced plans to operate four pairs of special trains on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Cox's Bazar routes during the upcoming Durga Puja holidays.
The decision aims to accommodate the increased number of passengers during the festive season. Of the special services, three pairs will run on the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route, while one pair will operate on the Dhaka-Chattogram route. These trains will run between September 30 and October 4.
Tarek Md Imran, Deputy Chief Operating Superintendent of BR (Eastern Zone), said the additional train services are being introduced to meet high passenger demand during the holidays.
"BR has madeadequate preparations to ensure safe and convenient travel, allowing passengers to enjoy the occasion and spend quality time with their loved ones," he said.
Each special train will consist of 18 coaches. The seating capacity for daytime services will be 834 passengers, while night services will accommodate 789 passengers.
The fare structure for these trains will be similar to services like Subarna Express, Sonar Bangla Express, and Cox's Bazar Express. However, passengers opting for air-conditioned seats will have to pay 30 per cent more than the standard fare, while those traveling in non-AC seats will pay 20 per cent extra.
As per the schedule, one special train on the Dhaka-Chattogram route will leave Kamalapur Station at 2:45 pm and is expected to reach Chattogram at 8:00 pm. Another special train on the same route will depart Dhaka at 10:30 pm on October 4 and arrive in Chattogram around 4:00 am.
On the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar route, the Tourist Special-1002 train will depart Kamalapur at 10:30 pm on September 30 and arrive in Cox's Bazar around 9:00 am on October 1. The return service, Tourist Special-1001, will leave Cox's Bazar at 11:30 am on October 1 and reach Dhaka at approximately 8:00 pm.
Another Tourist Special-1002 train will depart for Cox's Bazar on the night of October 1. On October 3, the Tourist Special-1001 will again leave Dhaka at 11:30 am, and the return service will depart Cox's Bazar that same night under the number 1002. The final special train on this route will run on October 4, leaving Cox's Bazar for Dhaka at 11:30 am.
