Eid special train journey begins

The Eid special train journey carrying the homebound people started on Monday despite the challenges to maintain all train schedules due to a train accident in the eastern zone of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) on Sunday.
Kamlapur Railway Station Manager Masud Sarwar said all trains except Mohanagar Provati were on schedule in the first day of Eid special journey.
Due to a delay in arrival of Mahanagar Provati for two hours from Chattogram, it left Dhaka at 9:45 am instead of 7:45 am.
Service of Sonar Bangla Express remained suspended as it faced an accident at Hasanpur railway station in Nagolcot of Cumilla on Sunday evening. Seven coaches and the engine of the train were severely damaged in the accident.
The train movement on one way from Chattogram to Dhaka line was suspended for almost eight hours due to the accident.
However, BR officials said other coaches of the Sonar Bangla were tagged with Provati to ease the journey of the homebound passengers.
In the first hour on Monday, a significant number of passengers thronged Kamlapur Railway Station to purchase standing tickets of different intercity trains to go to their destinations as Eid-ul-Fitr is nearing.
Bangladesh Railway has sold all tickets through online for the very first time. Passengers could avail tickets by registering with their own NID numbers. The initiative was taken by the BR to check the black marketing of the train tickets. The passengers could buy tickets 10 days before the scheduled date of the trains.
However, Shohoz, the vendor of the online ticket selling for BR, said 90 per cent of tickets of intercity and express trains were sold online. Around 10 per cent sale is pending due to return of tickets or other reasons.
Farzana Akter, a teacher, and her brother purchased two tickets of Chottrola Express through online on Sunday after several attempts.
Like Farzana, Dr Tasnim was also waiting at the station to make a journey by the same train to go to Feni. She expressed satisfaction and hailed BR's initiative as they got tickets without any hassle.
Another passenger, a banker by profession, was making a journey by train with his four family members. He said that he managed to purchase the tickets online in the first hour of the day.
Visiting Kamalapur station on Monday morning, it was seen that several hundreds of people gathered there for purchasing ticket.
"I could not purchase the ticket for Rangpur through online. So, I came to the station to purchase standing ticket," Abdul Quddus, a private service holder, told the FE.
The Station Manager said around 45,000 passengers travel daily. Among them, some 30,000 passengers confirmed their seats and rest of the 15,000 people will travel with standing tickets.
However, some passengers alleged that they had to purchase tickets for the last destination of the train, though they will end their journey before the last stoppage.
The railway authority and the law enforcers allowed only the passengers who have tickets with their own NID to enter into the station platform.
The Station Manager said the train schedule which was disrupted due to the accident is likely to be normal within one or two days.
There is a pressure of passengers for western zone. Tickets in eastern zone are still available online as all tickets were not sold for this route.
Meanwhile, BR on Monday announced to operate the Sonar Bangla Express on April 19 with extra coaches to facilitate the passengers.
Following the accident, Bangladesh Railway (BR) has temporarily suspended its four staffers. BR has also formed a probe body to investigate the incident.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
smunima@yahoo.com