Passengers suffer as Eid special coach withdrawn early

Saidpur railway station sees thronging of train passengers but many of them, especially those heading for Dhaka after the Eid holidays, fail to get tickets as the recently added Eid special coach was withdrawn from intercity Nilsagor Express seven days before the stipulated time of August 10. PHOTO: STAR

After celebrating Eid ul Fitr with near and dear ones at home, people on return journey to Dhaka by train are facing problem due to early withdrawal of the recently added special coach from Nilsagor Express, the lone intercity train on Saidpur-Dhaka route.

The 92-seated chair coach was added to the intercity train on July 27, to ease people's journey to and from home during the Eid holidays and it was supposed to remain attached with the train till August 10, railway sources said.

 But the authorities withdrew it on August 3 without any prior notice, much to the frustration of many passengers coming to Saidpur railway station to avail the train.

Now they have to take road journey, which is more expensive and riskier too.

The comfortable chair coach was removed from 'Nilsagor Express' to add to an intercity train in another region, said sources in West Zone of Bangladesh Railway.

Earlier the railway workshop at Saidpur in Nilphamari district repaired 83 damaged coaches to attach them with intercity trains throughout the country to carry additional passengers during Eid holidays.

Naresh Chandra Roy, president of district unit of Sacheton Nagorik Samaj (community of conscious citizens), in a statement demanded re-attachment of the chair coach with 'Nilsagor Express' for ten more days to mitigate sufferings of passengers.