Eid advance train ticket sale likely to start 14 Mar, bus tickets likely in mid-Mar

Bangladesh Railway initially decided to start selling advance train tickets for Eid holidaymakers on 14 March.

Several big private bus companies are likely to start selling advance bus tickets in mid-March and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will launch Eid special bus service at the last week of this month.

A meeting was held on 4 March to take a primary decision on the sale of Eid advance train tickets, operation of Eid special train and other necessary preparation with Bangladesh Railway director general Md Afzal Hossain in the chair.

A meeting of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges will be held on Sunday to finalise the decision and Railway Adviser Muhmmad Fouzul Kabir Khan is likely to make the announcement following the meeting.

Railway DG Afzal Hossain told Prothom Alo they fixed a tentative date, 14 March, to open the sale of advance train tickets, but the final decision would come from Sunday’s meeting. They also planned to operate 10 special trains on various routes for Eid holidaymakers, he added.

According to the initial decision of the railway, advance intercity train tickets for 24 March will be available on 14 March, the tickets for 25 March will be sold on 15 March, tickets for 26 March on 16 March, tickets for 27 March on 17 March, tickets for 28 March on 18 March, tickets for 29 March on 19 March, and tickets for 30 April will be available on 20 March.

Advance tickets will be sold online and no advance tickets will be available for sale at counters. More than 35,000 seats will be accommodated in trains during Eid holidays, which were about 30,000 last year.

Sources said several decisions on bus travels during Eid holidays are likely to come from Sunday’s meeting.

Since the government no longer fixes the date for selling advance train tickets for Eid holidaymakers, several private companies do so while small bus companies and privately-owned buses sell advance train tickets at the last moments, allegedly with higher fares.

Transport owners said many large bus companies now mostly sell tickets online during Eid.

Shohag Paribahan Managing Director Faruk Talukder told Prothom Alo it creates pressure both online and offline sales if they announce any certain date for ticket sale. So, they would sell tickets like the usual time, but tickets sales soar prior to two-three days of Eid despite making no announcement.

Meanwhile, BRTC planned to launch an Eid special service and start selling advance tickets for Eid holidaymakers from 20 March.

BRTC deputy managing director (operations) Shukdeb Dhali told Prothom Alo that BTRC bus operation on the existing routes will continue, but they planned to increase the number of buses and launch bus services on several new routes.

All together, more than 800 buses would be operated during Eid-ul-Fitr, he added.