After a day’s wait amid heavy rain in Chattogram, Parjatak Express cancels trip

With the port city seeing some of its heaviest rain in nearly four decades, the tracks were submerged by water

After being stranded in Chattogram for a day in the face of heavy rain and waterlogging, the Bangladesh Railway has cancelled the Parjatak Express train bound for Cox’s Bazar

The train's journey was suspended due to water on the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar rail line between Sholoshahar and Janali Hat, Bangladesh Railway Director (Public Relations) Anisur Rahman said in a statement.

Ariful Islam, station master of Sholoshahar Railway Station, told bdnews24.com: "The journey of the Parjatak Express was cancelled at night. There is still water on the line. The train left for Dhaka today."

The Parjatak Express got stuck around 12:40pm on Tuesday at the Sholoshahar Sunnia Madrasa section of the rail line due to water rising onto the line and a tree falling on it.

Later on Tuesday afternoon, the train was brought back to Sholoshahar Railway Station after the tree was removed. It later shifted to Chattogram Railway Station at 9pm.

Passengers were left stranded on the train all day long. As the journey was cancelled around midnight, passengers of all ages, including children and the elderly, were in extreme distress.

The Cox's Bazar-bound Cox’s Bazar Express train was also cancelled on Wednesday morning due to the water remaining on the rail line.

The Cox's Bazar Express train left Dhaka's Kamalapur Railway Station for Cox's Bazar at 11pm on Tuesday.

It reached Chattogram Railway Station early on Wednesday, but could not proceed further on the route due to the water. The train will leave for Dhaka again in the afternoon.

Heavy rains have led to waterlogging in Chattogram in the past few days. Since Tuesday afternoon, the section of the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway line between the Sholoshahar and Janalihat stations has been submerged under several feet of water.

A notice from the railway's public relations department said passengers of the cancelled train who want to refunds for their tickets can get them from the counter at Chattogram Railway Station.

Those who want to return to Dhaka can travel from Chattogram to Dhaka by the Cox's Bazar Express at 4pm.

Bangladesh Railway has apologised sincerely for the inconvenience caused to railway passengers due to the unexpected situation caused by the “sudden natural disaster”.

Due to water on the line in the Sholoshahar section, the Prabal Express train from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram on Tuesday afternoon and the Saikat Express train from Cox's Bazar to Chattogram on Tuesday night have also been cancelled.