Advance train tickets for post-Eid journeys go on sale

Advance train tickets for return journeys after the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays have opened online.

The sales started at 8am on Monday and tickets for Apr 3 intercity train trips are currently on offer, according to Kamalapur Station Manager Shahadat Hossain.

Tickets for Apr 4 will be available on Mar 25, Apr 5 on Mar 26, Apr 6 on Mar 27, Apr 7 on Mar 28, Apr 8 on Mar 29, and Apr 9 on Mar 30, he said.

Bangladesh Railway began selling advance tickets for Eid travel on Mar 14. Passengers who purchased tickets on that date started their journeys on Monday.

To accommodate the increased demand, special Eid trains will operate on several routes, including Chattogram-Chandpur-Chattogram (Chandpur Eid Special 1 & 2), Dhaka-Dewanganj-Dhaka (Dewanganj Eid Special 3 & 4), Bhairab Bazar-Kishoreganj-Bhairab Bazar (Sholakia Eid Special 5 & 6), Mymensingh-Kishoreganj-Mymensingh (Sholakia Eid Special 7 & 8), and Joydebpur-Parbatipur-Joydebpur (Parbatipur Eid Special 9 & 10).

To further manage passenger demand, railway authorities plan to add another 44 passenger coaches, including 28 metre-gauge coaches from the Pahartali workshop and 36 broad-gauge coaches from the Saidpur workshop. Additionally, 19 extra locomotives (14 meter-gauge and 5 broad-gauge) will be deployed.

Intercity train service will remain suspended on Eid day before resuming on a limited scale the following day, according to Shahadat.