On the other hand, in the eastern region of the railway, the occupancy was 94 passengers for every 100 seats. Across both regions, the train that earned the highest revenue in the ninth month of the year was Ekota Express. The train generated BDT 41.6 million in revenue for the railway that month. However, the railway has not disclosed the cost of Ekota Express.

Ekota Express operates on the Panchagarh-Dhaka-Panchagarh route. The train stops at 24 stations, including Kamalapur in Dhaka and Bir Muktijoddha Sirajul Islam Station in Panchagarh. The average number of train seats, including up and down directions, is 1,242. However, in September, the train transported an average of 1,459 passengers per trip. Railway officials have stated that Ekota Express does not have any weekly breaks, which has positively impacted its revenue. Additionally, the long route has also contributed to its higher earnings, as the train travels nearly 600 kilometers.

For administrative and operational convenience, Bangladesh Railway's operations are divided into two regions. The western region, which includes Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions, operates 58 intercity trains. Among them, the lowest earnings in September came from the Kourtua Express, which operates on the Santahar-Burimari route. The train earned BDT 3.242 million that month.

In the western region of Bangladesh Railway, the highest passenger transport relative to seat numbers was recorded by Barendra, Titumir, and Dhalarchor Express. In September, these three trains carried 118 passengers for every 100 seats. On the other hand, the lowest passenger count was seen on the Banalata Express. On the Dhaka-Rajshahi-Dhaka route, this train carried 98 passengers per 100 seats in September.

Bangladesh Railway operates 54 intercity trains in the eastern region. This region, which includes the Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Mymensingh divisions, saw the highest earnings in September from the Cox’s Bazar Express, which earned BDT 36.9 million that month.

Since its launch on December 1, 2023, the Cox’s Bazar Express has remained at the top of passenger demand. According to the Railway's Commercial and Marketing Department, the train has earned BDT 375.5 million from its launch until September. The operational cost of running a train from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar is nearly BDT 500,000. On the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route, the average earnings per trip are around BDT 700,000 to 800,000, resulting in a BDT 200,000 to 300,000 profit.

The lowest-earning train in the eastern region was the Haor Express on the Dhaka-Mohanaganj-Dhaka route, which earned around BDT 5 million in September. In the same month, the train with the most passengers in the eastern region was the Egarosindur Godhuli Express, operating between Dhaka and Kishoreganj, with an average of 109 passengers per 100 seats. The train with the lowest passenger count was the Bijoy Express on the Chattogram-Jamalpur route, which carried only 67 passengers per 100 seats in September.

Information regarding train operations in September was presented at a meeting titled ‘Rail Route Rationalization’ at the Rail Bhaban on Tuesday (November 5). However, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, the advisor of Road Transport and Bridges, expressed dissatisfaction that only revenue information was shared during the meeting. The advisor said, "Along with the revenue details of the trains, the operational cost data must also be provided."

While many routes in the country operate despite insufficient demand, there are also many routes where passenger demand exists, but the number of trains is insufficient. In this context, the Ministry of Railways has initiated the ‘route rationalization’ process to realign train routes based on passenger demand. During the meeting, an additional secretary from the Ministry of Railways, a student representative, and an interim government advisor, Nahid Islam, were appointed to form a committee. This committee will take forward the necessary work to rationalize the train routes.

Earlier Tuesday, Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan met with the media personnel's organization, Reporters for Rail and Road, at Rail Bhaban. During the meeting, he said, "In the past, trains were launched on various routes despite a lack of demand due to political and individual interests. Train stoppages were also introduced at various locations. We have initiated efforts to rationalize these trains. In this process, passenger demand will be our sole priority."