Taking the train in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a fascinating country with a rich and varied history and at present fairly few tourists. Bangladesh has a largely British-built rail network linking most major towns and cities, including Dhaka & Chittagong (now Chattogram). The network is divided into two halves, eastern and western, by the great rivers which divide the country itself. The western network is largely broad gauge, the eastern network largely metre gauge. Unfortunately, connections between these two networks are often poor. There is a railway route map at www.railway.gov.bd.
Dhaka to Chittagong
train service
Kolkata (Calcutta) to Dhaka by Maitree Express train
Kolkata (Calcutta) to Dhaka by
bus
How to travel overland train travel from Europe to Dhaka
Useful country information
Dhaka - Chittagong by train
There is a good train service between the capital city, Dhaka, and Bangladesh's second city, Chittagong, officially known as Chattogram since 2018. Dhaka & Chittagong are both in the eastern half of the country on the metre-gauge train network, linked by fast daytime InterCity trains and a good overnight train with air-conditioned sleeping-cars. Here's an example timetable of the best trains. You can check these times at eticket.railway.gov.bd, or at 12go.asia.
Intercity = Fast quality train, restaurant car, recommended. AC class seats, snigdha, 1st class seats, shovan chair, shovan & shulov seats.
Express = Slower than InterCity trains. AC class seats, 1st class seats, shovan chair, shovan & shulov seats.
Turna Express = Overnight quality intercity service with AC class 2-berth sleepers, AC class seats, 1st class seats, shovan chair, shovan & shulov seats.
Sonar Bangla Express uses the most modern carriages, delivered in 2016. AC class seats, snigdha, 1st class seats, shovan chair.
Suborno Express = Snighda, shovan chair
Not Sunday = daily except Sundays; not Friday = daily except Fridays; and so on....
£1 = approx 114 taka. $1 = approx 75 taka.
Children under 3 travel free, children aged 3 to 9 half fare. Children 10 and over pay the adult fare.
You can check fares at www.railway.gov.bd.
How to buy tickets: 12go.asia
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Option 1, you can book train tickets between Dhaka & Chittagong for AC Seat or AC berth on the principal trains through reliable agency 12go.asia. For visitors, this is the easiest option. AC = air-conditioned class. You order online, tickets are confirmed within 24 hours.
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Option 2, Bangladeshi Railways have an online ticket service at eticket.railway.gov.bd. This now accepts MasterCard & Visa, but it only may only work with Bangladeshi-issued credit cards. Tickets are shown on the Bangladeshi Railways Sheba app, only available for Android. Feedback would be welcome if you use this method, whether you fail or succeed.
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Option 3, you can of course buy at the station, but the high-quality InterCity trains are very popular and often leave full, so make reservations as soon as you can - or use 12go.asia. Alternatively, find a suitable local travel agency who will arrange tickets for you. Feedback on ticket buying is appreciated.
Explanation of classes
Here are the various classes on Bangladeshi trains in descending order of cost & comfort. The description in brackets is that used at eticket.railway.gov.bd.
AC class berth (AC_B) = Air-conditioned 2-berth & 4-berth sleeper compartments, bedding provided, available on the best overnight trains. Recommended.
AC class seat (AC_S) = Air-conditioned seats, usually in sleeper compartments in day mode, 3 people allocated to a 2-berth, 6 people in 4-berth, all reserved.
Snigdha (SNIGHDA) = Air-conditioned reclining seats, all reserved, arranged open-plan, 2+2 across the car width, TV screens. Recommended.
1st class berth (F_BERTH) = 1st class berths in 4-berth sleeper compartments, available on overnight trains. Not air-conditioned.
1st class seat (F_SEAT) = 1st class seats, all reserved, arranged 2+3 across the car width on broad gauge lines. Not air-conditioned.
Shovan chair (S_CHAIR) = 2nd class reclining seats, all reserved, arranged 2+3 across car width on broad gauge lines. Shuvon or Shovan means better looking.
Shovan (SHOVAN) = Much more basic seating than shovan chair cars, all reserved.
Shulov = 2nd class bench seats, unreserved, often crowded, mainly found on local or short distance trains. Shulov means easily available.
What are Bangladeshi trains like?
Travellers' reports
Traveller S.P Chattopadhyay reports: "I travelled via AC sleeper on the overnight intercity express, and trip was comfortable and uneventful. Train arrived at platform in Chittagong "new" station about 45 minutes ahead of departure time of 11pm. Compartment was clean, but the linens looked worn. AC was working well and arrival into Dhaka was on time at 6:20 am. I was able to buy the ticket the day before departure, without any problems. I would recommend this train over intercity bus travel between the two cities which involved traffic tie-ups and harrowing over-taking/lane-changing in face of unheeding opposing traffic!"
Traveller Maggie Brown reports: "I travelled from Dhaka to Srimongel. I went up to Srimongel in a 2nd class carriage with reclining seats without air conditioning, but with the windows open and fans. On the return journey we were in a first class cabin that seated 4 with seats that faced just one way with A/C. Srimongel is north of Dhaka and famous for its tea plantations and 5 layered tea. It's a popular weekend trip with the few tourists and also locals. Both journeys were comfortable but the 2nd class journey was far more interesting as there was a constant stream of vendors coming up and down the aisle and you could look out of the window. With the fans on and windows open it wasn't uncomfortably hot at all. In the first class A/C cabin the windows were frosted and closed and there was nothing to look at except an empty wall. On both journeys the train was late (between 30 minutes and 90 minutes late). It took about 4 hours."
Cox's Bazaar
There is no train service to Cox's Bazaar (Bangladesh's prime beach resort), but you can take a train from Dhaka to Chittagong then a bus from there.
Various bus companies operate from Chittagong to Cox's Bazaar including Desh Travels deshtravelsbd.com. Several air-con buses run daily, some daytime and others overnight, journey time 8 to 10 hours, fare 800 Taka in a non-air-con bus, 1000 Taka in an air-conditioned bus.
Can you help with more information?
If you have any photos, feedback or information which would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!
International links
Calcutta to Dhaka by train
A new train service started in April 2008 between Calcutta (Kolkata) and Dhaka. Called the Maitree Express (Friendship Express), it's run jointly by the Indian Railways & Bangladeshi Railways. Train service from Calcutta to Dhaka had been suspended since the India/Pakistan war in 1965 so this was a major step forward in the relations between these two countries. It was increased from twice a week to three times a week in 2015 and now runs at 5 times a week.
Remember that Indian time is GMT+5½, Bangladeshi time is GMT+6, so there's a 30 minute time difference. Times shown above are local time for the location concerned.
The distance is 393km (depending where you look). Gede is the Indian border point, Darshana is the Bangladeshi border point.
Customs and immigration are now done at the start and end points, i.e. Calcutta or Dhaka, they no longer take place at the border. You must report for boarding 2 hours before departure.
Trains 3107 & 3108 use Bangladesh Railways carriages. Trains 3109 & 3110 use Indian Railways carriages. Both trains have a catering car.
You can check these times and fares at www.railway.gov.bd, look for the Maitree Express link. See also travelplanbd.com/maitree-express.
Children under 5 half fare, 5 and over full price if separate seat is required.
Which class is best? AC seats are open-plan and comfortable enough. AC first class has seats in air-conditioned compartments with sleeping berths for lying down (yes, even though it's daytime train!). Choose whichever class you like, both are acceptable. You can take up to 30Kg luggage.
How to buy tickets online
You cannot buy online.
How to buy tickets in person
Tickets go on sale 60 days before departure in Calcutta, only 10 days before departure in Dhaka, and sales close 3pm the day before departure.
In Calcutta, buy tickets at the 6 Fairlie Place reservation centre at the Foreign Tourist Reservation Counter, open 10:00-17:00 Mon-Sat, 10:00-14:00 Sundays.
In Dhaka, buy tickets at Dhaka Kamalapur station ticket office, open 09:00-17:00. Passports & visas must be shown when booking. Only one-way tickets can be booked. There is no online booking.
Daily alternative train+bus link: There are two train links from Calcutta (Sealdah station) to the India/Bangladesh frontier, one to Gede and one to Bangaon. At Gede, the Bangladesh railway station of Darsana is a 1km walk across the frontier, for trains south to Khulna or northwards, but not to Dhaka. At Bangaon, it's a short walk across the frontier to Benapol station on the Bangladeshi side for a daily train to Khulna (but again, not Dhaka). Please confirm that foreigners are permitted to cross at your chosen crossing point.
Traveller Sascha Zaman travelled Dhaka to Calcutta: I took the train and it was quite good. Although I travelled first class (because that was still cheap, about 20 Euro), so I do not know how the other classes are. Anyway, the train left quite punctually at 8.30am and at about 2.30pm we arrived the border. Bangladesh emigration was very easy, though it took almost 2½ hours. Then a short train ride to the Indian side. There it is a bit annoying, as it took another 2 to 2½ hours, because as the train is coming from Bangladesh they are really strict with luggage control. They searched everybody and everything, so it takes quite a while. At about 6pm the train departed again and we arrived on schedule exactly at 8.30pm. So the train ride itself was just about 7 hours or so, but it was still fairly ok."
Additional feedback would be very welcome!
Calcutta ▶ Dhaka by bus
Direct air-conditioned long-distance buses link Calcutta with Dhaka several times daily, taking 8 or 9 hours. The bus fare costs about $10-$12 one-way. No known websites.
Find hotels in Bangladesh
Backpacker
hostels
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Flights to Bangladesh
Overland travel by train & bus around Bangladesh is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Bangladesh in the first place. For flights to Dhaka, start with Skyscanner.
Travel insurance & VPN
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from Buy from Amazon.com.