Advance train tickets to be sold at five spots for first time

Bangladesh Railway will start selling advance train tickets ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr on May 22 and for the first time, tickets will be sold at five different places in the city.

Advance tickets are usually sold only at Kamalapur Railway Station, and many holidaymakers spend sleepless nights at the station to get their hands on the tickets.

But this year, tickets will be sold at different locations to ease the ticket-buying process and prevent excruciatingly long queues, said Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan yesterday.

The minister was briefing the media at Rail Bhaban on BR’s preparation ahead of Eid rush. “We have taken several decisions and made preparations so that homebound people’s journey is safe and smooth,” he added.

He said tickets for all intercity trains to the country’s western destinations will be sold from Kamalapur Railway Station while tickets to Chattogram and Noakhali will be sold from Airport Railway Station.

Holidaymakers will have to buy their tickets for Mymensingh and Jamalpur from Tejgaon Station. Tickets for Netrakona-bound Mohonganj and Haor Express will be sold from Banani Station, the minister said.

Tickets to Sylhet and Kishoreganj will be sold from Old Rail Bhaban in Fulbaria area, he added.

Advance tickets for intercity trains for travelling on May 31 and June 1, 2, 3, 4 would be sold on May 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively, the railways minister said.

This year, 50 percent tickets will be sold online. One person can buy up to four tickets at a time, the minister said.

He said BR will operate eight special trains on different routes from June 2 to Eid day (expected to be celebrated on June 5). All tickets for these eight trains will be sold at counters. Adequate security measures will be taken to prevent ticket scalping and other irregularities, he added.

Sujan said sale of online tickets would also start on May 22 and if they are not sold out by May 27, they will be sold at counters.

Responding to a question, the minister said CNS Limited, on behalf of railway, will sell the tickets online and if they fail to serve people properly, railway will consider changing the company.

About delay of trains during Eid rush, Additional Director General (operation) of Bangladesh Railway Miajahan said they have to carry a huge number of passengers during the rush and trains are operated in relatively slow pace considering people’s safety.

He said railway is expected to see the highest pressure on June 3 and thus, schedule of June 4 may be somewhat disrupted.

Meanwhile, the minister said they will launch a new train service with only three stoppages on Dhaka-Panchagarh route on May 25.