Advance Eid train ticket sale to begin 1 June

The authorities of Bangladesh Railway have decided to start the sale of advance train tickets on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on 1 June, a day ahead of its earlier announced date.

Railways minister M Mazibul Hoque came up with the announcement at a press briefing at his Railway Bhaban office in the city on Thursday.

Tickets for 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 June will be available on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 June respectively, the minister said.

Besides, the return tickets for the journey of 19 June will be available on 10 June and that for 20 June on 11 June, for 21 June on 12 June, for 22 June on 13 June and for 23 June on 14 June and for 24 June on 15 June.

The sale of tickets will begin at 8:00am and each passenger will be able to buy maximum four tickets.

There will be 26 tickets counters and two of them will be kept aside for female commuters at Kamalapur railway station, Mazibul Hoque said.

During the briefing, the railways minister also said five pairs of special trains will run on several routes from 13 June to 15 June and 18 June to 24 June.

These trains are Dewanganj Special (Dhaka-Dewanganj-Dhaka), Chandpur Special-1 and Chandpur Special-2 (Chattogram-Chandpur-Chattogram), Parbatipur Special (Parbatipur-Dhaka-Parbatipur), Rajshahi special (Rajshahi-Dhaka-Rajshahi).

Besides, two more trains -- Sholakia Special-1 (Bhairab-Kishoreganj-Bhairab) and Sholakia special-2 (Mymensingh-Kishoreganj-Mymensingh) -- will run on the Eid day to carry commuters interested to join Sholakia Eid jamaat, said the minister.

The inter-city trains will remain in operation from 11 June till the day before Eid-ul-Fitr while plying of goods-laden train will remained suspended three days before Eid.

There will be 1405 coaches with 229 locomotives, according to the minister.

The leave of railways staff and employees has been cancelled from 10 June to 15 June, he said.

Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be deployed at all big stations for preventing black market sales while the deputy commissioners concerned will conduct mobile courts.

Meanwhile, plying of Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka Moitree Train will remain suspended from 15 June to 18 June.

Earlier on 21 May, Bangladesh Railway director general Md Amzad Hossain told UNB that they have primarily decided to start the ticket sales on 2 June.