Twenty months on, no freight service on Cox's Bazar rail route

Nearly twenty months after the much-heralded launch of train services to Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh Railway has yet to introduce freight operations on the route, falling short on the vision to transform the southern tourist district into a logistical hub as well.

In addition, the passenger trains currently running on the route lack luggage vans, depriving businesses and local industries of the transport option they had expected, while also costing the railway a potential source of revenue as the region continues to rely heavily on road transport.

When launched in December 2023, the 102-kilometre rail line from Dohazari in Chattogram to Cox's Bazar, constructed at a cost of Tk11,000 crore, was expected to boost both tourism and the cost-effective nationwide transport of goods such as fish, salt, betel leaves and agricultural produce.

Moreover, according to Bangladesh Railway projections, the new line was expected to generate Tk442 crore annually, with Tk50 crore coming from freight services. But in the first year, only Tk80 crore was earned – just one-fifth of the anticipated passenger revenue alone.

Infographics: TBS

Industry leaders and local traders say the absence of freight trains has left the potential of the line largely untapped. 

Instead, around 5,000 vehicles continue to ply the narrow Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway daily, worsening traffic congestion and contributing to road accidents – particularly from salt transport, which makes the road dangerously slippery.

They argue that if freight services were launched, it would ease pressure on the highway, improve goods transport, and reduce fatalities.

Abu Morshed Chowdhury, president of the Cox's Bazar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said, "One of the primary objectives of constructing this railway line was to facilitate both passenger and freight transport.

"While passenger transport is subsidised, freight is where the railway earns profit. We've been demanding freight trains, luggage vans, and even refrigerated compartments for fish transport since the line launched."

Locomotive shortage 

According to railway officials, the main obstacle is an acute shortage of locomotives. The eastern division currently operates with only 72–76 engines, far short of the required 110.

"Due to this shortage, it is not possible to launch freight trains anytime soon," said Shahidul Islam, joint director (operations) at Bangladesh Railway. "We haven't received any formal requests either regarding freight transport on this route."

Additionally, intercity services do not have a demand for luggage vans, which is why they are not being added to the Cox's Bazar trains either, railway officials said.

However, introducing luggage vans on this route might gain traction, as the road infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped, they added.

Project officials also hinted towards a change. 

Mohammad Subuktagin, project director of Cox's Bazar railway project and general manager of the Eastern Zone of Bangladesh Railway, told TBS, "There are plans to add two luggage vans to the intercity trains running on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar route. The issue will be raised at the railway's regular monthly meetings, and input will be sought from the commercial division."

A freight goldmine

The coastal district of Cox's Bazar is well known for its fisheries and salt industries. Besides, vegetables from southern Chattogram are also in demand across the region. Additionally, the area's sweet betel leaf and areca nut are popular throughout the country as well.

Yet, most of these goods are still transported by road.

According to the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (Bscic), the majority of the country's salt industry depends on the Cox's Bazar region. 

This year, the national annual demand for salt is 26.1 lakh tonnes, of which 22.5 lakh tonnes were produced in Cox's Bazar alone. 

Fish is another major product. According to the Cox's Bazar District Fisheries Office, the district's annual fish production stands at 249,000 tonnes, including around 36,000 tonnes of hilsa. This is well above the local demand of 60,000 tonnes. 

The remaining 180,000 tonnes are sent to other parts of the country, including Chattogram and Dhaka. 

The district is also known for its popular fish enclosures (gher), and dried sea fish from the area is shipped to different parts of the country. Dried fish worth several hundred crores of taka is produced in this region.

According to the District Agriculture Department, in the island upazila of Maheshkhali in Cox's Bazar, around 27,000 farmers cultivate sweet betel leaves in nearly 12,000 small and large gardens spread over 4,000 acres of land. 

This has resulted in the production of approximately 44,000 tonnes of sweet betel leaf, with a market value exceeding Tk1,300 crore.

Meanwhile, in various areas of the district including Ukhiya, Teknaf, Ramu, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Eidgaon, Chakaria, and Pekua upazilas, there are areca nut plantations covering 8,645 acres. 

These plantations produce around 13,000 tonnes of areca nuts, with an estimated market value of nearly Tk400 crore.