Long-Cherished Chandpur-Sylhet Intercity Train Still A Dream
A train service that connects Chandpur and Sylhet has been a long-standing need for people living in the south and south-western regions of the country.
A large number of residents from the region journey through Chandpur in order to see the shrines to holy gods Hazrat Shah Jalal and Shar Paran each day. Students also attend medical colleges and universities in Sylhet.A majority of tourists also travel to the district's north-eastern region to take in the natural beauty of the area.
Day in and day out , they are afflicted by the fact that road travel is dangerous and takes a long time.
According to Railway officials in the year 2000, a Laksam-bound commuter train coming from Chandpur was equipped with several coaches to it to accommodate passengers from Sylhet. At Laksham junction the coaches would join Jalalabad Express trains. Passengers can travel to Sylhet with relative ease and with a low cost without any trouble.
It was stopped on September 20 in 2000 following Meghna River swallowed a great portion of Chandpur Boro railway station.
While the station was rebuilt, but the railway authorities didn't restart the train service to Sylhet through Laksham.
Students studying at MAG Osmani Medical College and Sylhet University travelers, devotees, and traders face many challenges each when they journey to Sylhet.
Even tickets for Sylhet aren't issued by Chandpur railway station, as claimed by many TTEs, including stationmaster Shoaibul Sikder.
He also said that launching the intercity train was essential for smooth travel from Chandpur as well as Sylhet. This is a hot demand as the amount of people who are going to Sylhet has risen like never before.
Under the current government, numerous infrastructural upgrades of the Chandpur-Laksam railway line and stations have been completed and are currently being carried out.
Residents from Barisal and Barguna are also raising their demands since the majority of passengers from these and the nearby districts need to go towards Sylhet via Chandpur and arrive at the flight.
Chandpur Railway station can be found 15 minutes' walk to Chandpur dock. There are plenty of illumination at night and has there are no safety concerns.
In contrast, Chandpur bus terminal is just three miles away. In addition to the bus schedules, fares, bathrooms, restrooms for passengers and security are all not in good condition.
As per Chandpur transport officials the number of buses running daily is nine between Chandpur up to Sylhet city. The cost of a bus ride for Sylhet on non-AC buses is Tk 550, and on AC bus, Tk 650.
The train cost between Chandpur to Sylhet could be as low as Tk 250-300 According to the railway officials. Train travel is cheap and will take less time.
Officials stated that it could be extremely profitable to establish the Chandpur-Sylhet international train service. It could open new opportunities in trade and business according to them.