Navigate from Dhaka Kamalapur to Cox's Bazar across a span of 381km. This is an overnight service.
Scenery Highlights
Meghna River bridge at Bhairab Bazar — one of the longest river bridges in Bangladesh (the Meghna is one of the three Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna distributaries forming the world's largest delta)
Feni River crossing — wide tidal estuary between Feni Junction and Chittagong
Chittagong city skyline — Bangladesh's main port, with the iconic Karnaphuli tunnel entrance visible from the consist
Climb into the Chittagong Hill Tracts — the line ascends gently through forested valleys (mangrove, teak, and bamboo) before descending to the coast
First glimpse of the Bay of Bengal — the line emerges from the hills at Ramu and the blue ocean appears between the casuarina trees
Cox's Bazar Marine Drive — the world's longest unbroken natural sea beach (120 km) unfurls beside the consist as it rolls into Cox's Bazar station
Evening departure from Dhaka — sunset over the flat Bengal delta with silhouetted palm groves and village tin-roof huts
Approach to Cox's Bazar at night — sea breeze cools the carriages; waves audible in the last 2 km before the platform
Quick Facts
Duration
8.17 hours
Distance
381 km
Est. Price
BDT 695–2,380 (plus 15% VAT and 20 BDT online booking charge); foreigners pay in BDT equivalent at official exchange rate (~117 BDT/USD as of mid-2026)
Meals: None — on-board food trolley available for purchase
Ensuite: No
Meals: None — on-board food trolley
Ensuite: No
Meals: None — on-board food trolley
Ensuite: No
Meals: None — on-board food trolley
Ensuite: No
Engine / Locomotive
Bangladesh Railway Class 6600 (EMD/Progress Rail Co-Co diesel-electric, 3,300 hp, ~120–130 tonnes) for primary services; Class 6500 (Banaras Locomotive Works BED-30/BED-33, 3,100–3,300 hp) for peak extras
Locomotive Weight
Class 6600 approximately 120–130 tonnes; Class 6500 approximately 108 tonnes
Track Gauge
1,676 mm broad gauge (5 ft 6 in) — Indian subcontinent standard, with dual-gauge sections between Dhaka and Chittagong allowing metre-gauge (1,000 mm) through-services via Akhaura
Braking Technology
Air brakes (standard on all Bangladesh Railway passenger locomotives and coaching stock); vacuum brake endpoints on older consist cars
Route Engineering Challenges
381 km route crosses multiple major Bengal delta rivers — Meghna, Feni, Karnaphuli — requiring long steel and concrete bridge spans subject to seasonal monsoon flooding
Chittagong Hill Tracts approaches feature sharp curves and gradient changes (1 in 100 to 1 in 80) requiring careful locomotive adhesion in monsoon season
Humid tropical coastal climate (Cox's Bazar is essentially tropical, 25–32°C year-round) demands corrosion-resistant braking components and air-conditioning capacity
New Dohazari–Cox's Bazar line (opened 1 December 2023) required major earthworks through the Satkania–Lohagara hill corridor to bypass the older Jessore–Bamanhat route
Single-track operation throughout limits train frequency to one overnight and one daytime consist in each direction; passing loops at major stations (Laksam, Feni, Satkania) allow bidirectional operations
Cyclone exposure from the Bay of Bengal (Sitrang 2022, Remal 2024) — track ballast and signalling equipment on the coastal plain require annual cyclone-resilience upgrades
Feni River and Karnaphuli river bridges require annual pre-monsoon inspection — Bangladesh Railway's engineering wing runs a dedicated Bridge Inspection Cell
Operator
Bangladesh Railway (BR), Ministry of Railways, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Route distance
381 km (237 miles)
Maximum speed
100 km/h (broad-gauge standard); Cox's Bazar Express operates at 70–80 km/h average
Electrification
None — diesel operated throughout (BR has no electrified mainline as of 2026)
Configuration
Typical consist: 1 locomotive + 8–12 passenger coaches (AC Berth, AC Seat, Snigdha, Shovan Chair) + parcel van + brake van
Year launched
1 December 2023 (inauguration of the Dohazari–Cox's Bazar line by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina)
Line opened
Dohazari–Cox's Bazar railway: 1 December 2023; rest of route (Dhaka–Chittagong–Dohazari): pre-1947 British India heritage, realigned post-1971
Topography
Flat delta (Dhaka–Chittagong, ~264 km), then hilly forested Chittagong Hill Tracts approaches (Dohazari–Cox's Bazar, ~117 km), then coastal plain descent
Booking lead time
10 days advance online; same-day tickets at Dhaka Kamalapur reservation hall (queue overnight)
Onboard languages
Bengali primary; English announcements at major stations
Currency
BDT (Bangladeshi Taka); ~117 BDT/USD official mid-2026 rate
Time zone
Asia/Dhaka (UTC+6, no daylight saving)
Quick Facts
Duration
8.17 hours
Distance
381 km
Est. Price
BDT 695–2,380 (plus 15% VAT and 20 BDT online booking charge); foreigners pay in BDT equivalent at official exchange rate (~117 BDT/USD as of mid-2026)