Bangladesh Railway (BR) will restart carrying passengers with full capacity from today, around three-and-a-half-month after the authorities resumed operations of passenger trains on a limited scale.

Half of the total tickets of intercity trains will be sold at stations while the rest through online and mobile app. All tickets of local, mail and commuter trains will be sold at stations.

The railways ministry took the decision at a meeting yesterday with Minister Nurul Islam Sujan in the chair, Shariful Alam, senior information officer of the ministry, told The Daily Star. All health safety guidelines will be followed, he said.

The decision came three days after the authorities started selling half of the tickets of intercity trains at stations from Saturday.

After resumption of train services from May 31 on limited scale, BR has been selling all tickets of intercity trains through online and a mobile app.

Although authorities have started selling all tickets of local, mail and commuter trains at the stations from September 5, they started selling 50 percent tickets of the intercity trains from the counters from September 12.

BR is gradually increasing trains in its fleet in a bid to normalise services. A total of 218 trains will come into operation by September 16. The remaining 144 mail and local trains will resume operation gradually.

RIVA GANGULY MEETS RAIL MINISTER

Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das yesterday made a courtesy call on the railways minister at his office at Rail Bhaban.

They discussed about rail projects, which are being implemented under Indian line of credit, said a press release of the ministry.

They especially talked about the project under which the third and fourth dual gauge railway tracks on Dhaka-Tongi route and doubling the dual gauge track on Tongi-Joydevpur is being implemented.

The minister, through the high commissioner, requested India to take necessary steps so that rail operations between Bangladesh and India can be resumed through Chilahati-Haldibari interchange within December.

Ministry Secretary Salim Reza and BR Director General Md Shamsuzzaman were also present at the meeting.