Heavy rain halts Cox's Bazar train services as tracks go underwater in Ctg

Highlights:

• Around 1,000 passengers stranded on Parjatak Express
• Probal Express also halted at Jan Ali Hat
• Flooded tracks suspend Chattogram-Cox's Bazar train services
• Fallen trees cleared, but waterlogged tracks remain unsafe

Train services on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar route were suspended today (7 July) after heavy rain submerged sections of the railway track, leaving around 1,000 passengers stranded aboard the Cox's Bazar-bound Parjatak Express and halting the Chattogram-bound Probal Express.

The Parjatak Express became stranded shortly after crossing Sholoshahar Junction at around 12:40pm. As of 5pm, both trains remained halted, with railway officials unable to say when services would resume.

Nizam Uddin, station master of Jan Ali Hat Station, told The Business Standard that train movement was suspended after floodwater submerged the railway line in the Jamea Ahmadia Sunnia Kamil Madrasah area of Chattogram city.

"There are around 1,000 passengers on the stranded train," he said.

He added, "The Probal Express had crossed the same section around 6:30am without any problems. However, torrential rainfall later caused water to rise above the tracks, forcing authorities to suspend train operations. The train, which left Cox's Bazar at around 11:30am, also became stranded at Jan Ali Hat station."

Farhan Mahmud, transport officer of Bangladesh Railway's Chattogram division, said trees had fallen on the Sholoshahar-Jan Ali Hat, Gomdandi, Dohazari and Faujdarhat sections due to the adverse weather.

"All the fallen trees have been cleared, but trains cannot operate until the water recedes from the tracks. Necessary measures are being taken," he said.

According to railway sources, the Parjatak Express departed Dhaka's Kamalapur Railway Station at around 6:15am and crossed Sholoshahar Junction at 12:35pm before coming to a halt a short distance later.

The train had been scheduled to arrive in Cox's Bazar at 2:40pm.