Luxury tourist car will circulate on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route

Dhaka: Work is underway on the Dohazari-Cox Bazar-Ghumdhum railway line project. Under the plan, train service on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route will start in 2022 and the government is working towards that goal.

Railways has decided to import tourist coaches as part of a special initiative to transport passengers to the resort town of Cox’s Bazar after the completion of the Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway.

The luxury coaches will be acquired within the framework of the project “Acquisition of a 54 gauge passenger car for the operation of the tourist train for the tourist of Cox’s Bazar”. The total cost of the project has been estimated at Tk 441.51 crore. Government 96 crore 12 lakh 15 thousand taka in this project. The remaining Tk 345.39 million rupees has been offered to China as a project loan.

The project has been included in the annual development schedule for the 2020-21 financial year. The project is being translated into English to help obtain a Chinese loan. The most important aspects of the sector are being translated into English, mainly for obtaining loans from abroad. The government is working to introduce tourist cars along with the construction of the railway. Because it will take some time to get the tour car.

Minister of Railways. Nurul Islam Sujan told banglanews: “Once the railway line to Cox’s Bazar is completed, we will initially keep the route open on an ordinary train. Later we will launch a tourist car as a special train. Since most of our railroads are going broad gauge, we will buy wide gauge tourist cars. The tourism sector will be much richer if tourist cars are introduced as special trains on the railways. However, our initiative is now in the early stages. “

According to sources from the Ministry of Railways, the proposal has in turn been sent to the Planning Commission. In the proposal, the cost for 54 coaches has been set at Tk 441.51 crore. As such, the cost of importing each coach will be Tk 6 crore 16 lakh. Generally, the average cost of importing each subway car is 2 to 3 crore rupees. The cost of importing air-conditioned coaches is a bit higher than that. Funding is being provided ahead of the launch of the tourist train on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route.

A development project proposal (DPP) has already been prepared in this regard. The price will be a bit higher as there are special facilities for tourists on 54 coaches. The project comprises six-meter-wide tourist cars (CT), 13 air-conditioned sleeping cars (WGC), 22 air-conditioned chair cars (WGCC), seven electric cars (WPC) and air-conditioned dining cars (WRG).

Bangladesh time: 0648 hours, September 18, 2020
MIS / AJ