Local trains on Dhaka-Noakhali route to resume after engine crisis

Railway Ministry Secretary Mohammad Fahimul Islam has assured that local train services on the Noakhali-Dhaka route will resume as soon as the ongoing engine crisis is resolved.

He gave this assurance on Thursday (September 3) while receiving a memorandum containing various demands for rail service development submitted on behalf of the residents of Noakhali. 

Expressing awareness of the region's transport issues, the secretary noted it was unfortunate that adequate train services could not be provided to an important district like Noakhali.

The memorandum was handed over by Noakhali Division Implementation Coordination Committee General Secretary MH Rahman Fuad, Office Secretary Sajjad Hossain Sohel, Finance Secretary Mohammad Riday Hossain, and Abdul Hamid Rony.

The document highlighted severe mismanagement of the sole intercity train on the Dhaka-Noakhali route, schedule inconsistencies, and the need to prevent theft and robbery to ensure passenger safety. It specifically pointed out that the Coastal Express is running 3 to 4 hours late daily on an unfriendly schedule.

The representatives outlined several key demands, including the resumption of the former night-time local train service on the Dhaka-Noakhali route and the launch of the proposed Subarnachar Express train. They also called for the modernization and remodeling of the Chaumuhani railway station, the construction of a double line between Chaumuhani and Lakshmipur, and the extension of the railway track from Sonapur to Chairmanghat.

Furthermore, they demanded the modernization of the existing Laksam-Noakhali rail link and the inclusion of Noakhali within the railway's special development priority zone.

Responding to the infrastructure demands, Additional Director General (Infrastructure) Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman stated that the modernization and remodeling of Chaumuhani station is currently under process and will be included in the upcoming fiscal year's budget.

He added that feasibility studies for the Chaumuhani-Lakshmipur railway line are also actively underway.

-MR/NS/SA