Home ›› 06 May 2023 ›› Nation
Cox’s Bazar iconic oyster-shaped railway station is expected to be fully operational by October this year as the construction works of over 83 per cent has been completed.
The station is being built on an area of 29 acres in Sadar upazila’s Jhilongjha union, about three km away from the seashore. The station has been built at the cost of Tk 215 crore.
Bangladesh Railway sources said that the project was originally scheduled to be completed in June 2022, but the deadline was extended by two years until June 2024.
The station is being built near the district town, making it accessible to all sorts of tourists. It is set to be the hub of 17 commercial activities.
According to official sources, the station will be fully operational by October this year as its basic infrastructure construction is completed. The station will boost the district’s tourism industry.
Construction Manager of Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar Railway Project M Abdul Jaber Milon said the basic infrastructure construction of the international standard station is complete.
“The project began in July 2018 with 250 engineers working on it. After years of hard labour, we are now in the final stages of construction. Now the installation of glass fittings, roof steel canopy, and other types of fittings is ongoing,” he said, adding that project progress is more than 83 per cent.
The tourist-friendly central air-conditioned six-storey station has a total floor area of 1,87,000 square feet. There are all kinds of facilities for tourists.
Other than this iconic railway station, eight more are being constructed under this project. The next station from Cox’s Bazar towards Chattogram is Ramu Station. Then there are Islamabad, Dulahazara, Chakaria, Harbang, Lohagara, Satkania and Dohazari railway stations.
According to the project-related sources, many tourists tend to make a day trip to Cox’s Bazar, and the station is being built considering them.
There is a baggage and locker system at the station for tourists to keep their belonging while they enjoy the tourist attractions. Besides, there are modern traffic facilities, the ground floor of the station has various facilities including a ticket counter, reception, and lockers.
The first floor will contain a shopping mall and restaurants. There will be an international standard hotel with 39 rooms on the second floor. The station will also have other facilities like a mosque, child care centres and escalators.
There are different drop-off areas for general and VIPs, separate parking areas for buses, private cars, microbuses and three-wheelers. There will also be ATM booths, post offices, tourist information booths, and various other service centres.
Cox’s Bazar’s rail station is being built to become more than just a rest stop for passengers. Project-related sources expect it to become a culturally sustainable socio-economic hub
There will be various facilities for tourists, restaurants, food courts, multipurpose halls and hotels. The station itself will become a tourist destination after its inauguration.
Due to its glass canopy design, the temperature inside the building will remain cooler, reducing the electricity usage of the air conditioners. The structure will require less artificial lighting as there will be adequate natural light inside due to its glass walls.
The project has been designed and implemented to be environmentally sustainable with electricity-saving and rainwater recycling facilities. Provided with all sorts of modern facilities the station is built to become a tourist attraction.
Construction of rail tracks
In regards to the rail tracks, construction of the 50 km railway line of Cox’s Bazar section is completed. The remaining 25 km out of Chattogram’s 50 km railway line will be completed by August, project officials said.
The construction cost of the 100 km railway line from Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar is Tk 18,034.47 crore. It is financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bangladesh.
Chinese contractor China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and Bangladeshi Toma Construction and Co Ltd are working on the 50 km Dohazari to Chakaria line.
On the other hand, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Max Infrastructure Limited of Bangladesh are working on the other 50 km line from Chakaria to Cox’s Bazar, which is already completed.
Additional Project Director of Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar Railway Line, Engineer Abul Kalam Chowdhury told The Business Post, “If everything goes according to plan, we will be able to complete the remaining 25 km track by August. After setting the railway sleepers and drill bits within the next two months and we will finish everything by September.”
He added that they are hopeful about inaugurating the rail track by October.
Project officials said that 18 out of 20 bridges in the Chakaria to Cox’s Bazar section have been completed. Among the 19 bridges in the Dohazari-Chakria section, one railway bridge over Sangu River, two over Matamuhuri River and one over Bankkhali River have been completed. The construction of the rest is almost at the final stage.
