The train fares are set to go up for the passengers traveling more than 100 kilometers of distance from 4 May.
The hike in train fare comes against the backdrop that the government is going to withdraw the existing rebate facility on long distance train journeys from the day.
However, the fares for train journeys within the distance of 100 km will remain unchanged, according to a notice issued by the Bangladesh Railway on Monday.
The railway sources said there is no rebate for the trips up to 100 km, while there is a 20 per cent rebate on fares for the trips up to 250 km, 25 per cent rebate for trips up to 400 km, and 30 per cent for more than 401 km.
The notice mentioned that there had been rebates on the basis of section and distance since 1992. The authorities withdrew the sectional rebate in 2012, but the distance-based rebate remained unchanged.
Recently, a decision has been taken to cancel the distance-based rebate on the passenger trains, without increasing the overall price.
It has been estimated that the railway will earn Tk 3 billion in extra thanks to the fare hike.
According to railway officials, the fare for a Dhaka-Chattogram trip on a Shovon class seat will rise by Tk 60, while that of Snigdha class may rise by Tk 120. Besides, the fare for an air-conditioned (AC) berth will rise by Tk 216.
However, the fare will not increase on any train for distances less than 100 km, including that of Narsingdi, Joydebpur, and Faridpur from Dhaka.
The railway sources said when the government is taking various initiatives to increase its income amid revenue deficits, the annual losses of the railway have surpassed Tk 20 billion. Hence, the issue of raising train fare came to the fore.
It has been estimated that the railway will earn Tk 3 billion in extra thanks to the fare hike.