Chattogram Rail Suspension Costs Tk8.8 Million

Bangladesh Railway has incurred losses of nearly Tk8.8 million in ticket refunds after train services on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar route were suspended for five consecutive days due to severe flooding that submerged sections of the railway line.

The disruption followed heavy monsoon rainfall that inundated rail tracks across parts of the Chattogram region, forcing authorities to halt all train operations on the route from 7 to 11 July as a precautionary measure. Railway officials said passenger safety remained the overriding concern throughout the suspension, with services resuming only after detailed inspections confirmed that the line was safe for operation.

During the five-day shutdown, Bangladesh Railway cancelled 11,337 advance bookings and refunded passengers a total of Tk8,785,344. The refunds represent the immediate financial impact of the disruption, although officials acknowledge that the overall revenue loss is likely to be significantly higher.

The suspension also interrupted the sale of new advance tickets, reducing passenger bookings for several days even after services resumed. Many travellers cancelled or postponed planned visits to Cox’s Bazar, one of Bangladesh’s most popular tourist destinations, particularly during the monsoon season. Railway officials said the change in travel plans affected not only the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar service but also influenced passenger demand on other long-distance routes, as many journeys were linked with onward travel.

Abu Zafar Majumder, Station Master of Chattogram Railway Station, said trains can generally operate safely when floodwater on the tracks reaches up to four inches. During the recent floods, however, sections of the railway line were submerged under approximately two feet of water, making operations impossible.

He explained that the railway infrastructure remained underwater for three consecutive days, requiring engineers and technical teams to carry out comprehensive inspections before allowing trains to return. After the assessments were completed, operations resumed on 12 July under an “advanced piloting” system, which required trains to travel at restricted speeds while the condition of the track continued to be monitored.

Mohammad Subaktagin, General Manager of Bangladesh Railway’s Eastern Zone, said around 500 metres of railway track within Chattogram city had been submerged beneath nearly two feet of water during the exceptionally heavy rainfall. Despite the flooding, engineers found no major structural damage to the railway infrastructure.

He added that suspending train operations was a precautionary decision taken solely to ensure passenger safety. During the disruption, the two pairs of intercity trains operating between Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar ran only on the Dhaka–Chattogram section, allowing partial services to continue while the affected section remained closed.

Railway officials noted that the overall operational losses were somewhat reduced because one of the five days coincided with the route’s scheduled weekly closure. Even so, they stressed that the financial impact extended beyond ticket refunds, as reduced passenger confidence and disrupted travel plans affected revenue over subsequent days.

The incident has also renewed attention to the vulnerability of Bangladesh’s railway network during the monsoon season. With the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar corridor serving as one of the country’s busiest and most strategically important passenger routes, railway authorities believe long-term investment is needed to improve climate resilience. Officials have emphasised the importance of strengthening vulnerable sections of the line, improving drainage systems and implementing more durable infrastructure to reduce the risk of future flood-related disruptions and ensure uninterrupted rail connectivity during periods of extreme weather.