Trains still delayed, Lalmoni special cancelled
Eid commuters suffer a nightmare due to the collapsed schedule of trains. Trains bound for northern and southwestern regions of the country remain delayed while the special train to the northern border district Lalmonirhat, Lalmoni Eid Special, has been cancelled.
The Rajshahi bound Padma Express was scheduled to depart at 11:10am, but has been rescheduled for Sunday 11:00am. Dhumketu Express of the same route was scheduled to leave at 6:00am. The authorities said there would be a delay but did not announce any new schedule.
Khulna-bound Sundarbans Express was scheduled to leave Dhaka at 6:00am. No new schedule has been announced but it was said there would be a ‘delay’. The Khulna-bound Sundarban Express has been rescheduled to leave Dhaka at 1:40pm that was scheduled to leave originally at 6:20am.
No schedule was announced for Nilsagar Express bound for Nilphamari's Chilahati while Rangpur Express may leave Dhaka around 12:00pm, three hours after the schedule. Lalmoni Eid Special was scheduled to leave Kamalapur for 9:15am and now has been cancelled. The passengers were told they would be reimbursed. Already, a huge number of passengers of Dhumketu Express, Sundarbans Express, Padma Express, and Nilsagar Express have returned their tickets.
Among the northern region bound trains, Ekota Express was not delayed, leaving Dhaka for Panchagarh at 10:25am, only 25 minutes after the schedule. Kishoreganj Express and Isha Khan Express maintained their schedule.
Railways officials were standing at the entrance of Kamalapur railway station with special tickets. They were providing standing tickets for trains that were leaving soon. The measure was taken to ensure that passengers wasted no time standing in queues.
The station manager of Kamalapur railway station, Md. Aminul Haque, was not at his office since the morning and he did not receive any calls either over the phone.
Passengers with advance train tickets began their trips on Wednesday. A number of trains bound for the northern region were delayed from the beginning, but things worsened on Friday when rail communications of Dhaka with the northern and southern districts came to a halt as Khulna-bound Sundarban Express derailed at the eastern side of Bangabandhu Bridge.
Passengers at Kamalapur railway station suffer due to the breakdown in schedule. Umme Habiba and Aurangzeb, two siblings who were waiting for the Padma Express, learnt that the train was finally arriving at the platform around 11:00am. They were waiting for the train since morning.
Rajshahi bound Dhumketu Express was scheduled to leave Dhaka at 6:00am but the train has still not left Rajshahi, according to a passenger, Atiqa Iqbal. She was waiting with her husband at the station.