Advance train ticket sale starts Aug 29
The Bangladesh Railway will begin selling advance tickets from August 29 to ensure hassle-free journey for holidaymakers ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.
The sale will continue till September 2 at Dhaka's Kamalapur and Chittagong railway stations, said Railways Minister Mazibul Hoque at a press briefing at his ministry's conference room yesterday.
Train tickets for September 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will be open for sale on August 29, 30, 31, September 1 and 2 respectively, the minister added.
Similarly, return tickets for September 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 will be open for sale on September 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 correspondingly at Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat stations, he said.
The Eid-ul-Azha is expected to be celebrated on September 12.
The sale will start at 8:00am on the respective dates and continue until the tickets are sold out. A person will be able to buy maximum four tickets.
Ten special trains will be added to the existing fleet of 378 trains daily to cope with the excessive rush of passengers from September 9.
The railway authorities will also operate “Solakia Special” trains on Bhairab-Kishoreganj-Bhairab and Mymensingh-Kishoreganj-Mymensingh routes on the Eid day.
Some 140 additional coaches will be included with the existing 1,006 coaches and 18 additional locomotives will be added with the existing 202 locomotives during the Eid rush.
Around 80,000 people leave the capital through the Kamalapur Railway Station every day during the Eid rush, according to railway officials.
Adequate security measures will be taken to avoid black marketing of tickets and any subversive activities, the minister said.
Operation of Maitree Express, which runs on Dhaka-Kolkata route, will remain suspended on September 11-12 due to Eid.
Every year, around 60-70 lakh people leave the capital to celebrate Eid with the near and dear ones at their village homes. The major chunk of them travel on roads and railways, said railway officials and transport operators.
Private bus operators will start selling advance tickets on August 23.