The Bangladesh Railway (BR) is gradually normalising rail services across the country despite the scourge of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
As part of a plan for fresh operations, the BR has announced to restart 84 more express, commuter, mail and local trains by September 16.
With this, more than 60-per cent train services will be relaunched, taking the number to 214.
All intercity train services and some mail and commuter trains have so far resumed after the government relaxed the movement of public transport from May 31.
"All train services will resume in phases," railways minister Nurul Islam Sujon told the FE over phone.
He, however, said seating arrangement in all the trains will be half their capacities.
Senior information officer Shariful Alam said the BR will have 144 trains to restart operation.
Meanwhile, the state-owned operator announced to open ticket counters at rail stations from September 12, allowing the sale of 50 per cent of permissible seats.
The remaining half tickets will be sold online, but the minister said all tickets of local trains would be available at counters.
He said half the tickets of allowable 50-per cent seats of intercity and express trains would be sold at ticket counter and the rest online.
Official sources said the BR is set to withdraw restrictions on train stoppage at some busy stations like Airport, Tongi and Gazipur from September 10.
These three stations usually receive huge crowds who intrude into and onto the train's roofs without tickets.
The BR halted all services after the government had announced general holidays from March 26 to restrict public movement to contain the spread of coronavirus.
It only restarted intercity trains after the movement of public transport was relaxed on May 31.
But the relaunch of all 62 sets of intercity trains and some commuter and mail trains by August, the BR has moved to reopen the rest commuter, mail and local trains in phases.
However, the state entity announced to continue following the health guideline set by the health directorate to check the spread of the deadly virus.
The guideline includes social distancing through keeping half the train seats vacant, sale of all tickets online and disinfecting trains and stations.
BR director general Mohammad Shamsuzzaman told the FE over phone that they are still to decide on lifting restrictions on seating arrangement in line with a directive from the high-ups.
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