The increased train fare rates devised by Bangladesh Railway for both passenger and cargo trains will come into effect tomorrow.
Now passengers will have to pay 7.23% higher price on average to travel via trains around the country, according to a circular issued by the railway authorities earlier this month.
The decision was approved by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on February 4, the circular said.
The last time train fares were revised in the country was in June 2012; that, too, came after 20 years.
Aiming to minimise the losses, Bangladesh Railway has decided to raise train fare on a yearly basis and the decision come into effect from this year. The railway suffers losses of Tk900 crore every year, which it aims to reduce by around Tk100 crore by raising fares.
Under the new system, a passenger will have to pay 39 paisa per kilometre instead of the current rate of 36 paisa per kilometre, amounting to a raise of Tk5-Tk46, depending on the route.
Other than the fare hike, the railway authorities will also work to save travel time on different routes, including the Dhaka-Chittagong route, the circular said.
“We are increasing the train fare, but we are also working to ensure better services,” said Amzar Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, when the Dhaka Tribune recently contacted him in this regard.
“We are implementing development projects for the betterment of our service, such as the double track on Dhaka-Chittagong route. We are also fixing the signal system to make it more effective and less time-consuming,” he added.
The new system will be effective from Monday, February 22.
Other than the Dhaka-Chittagong route, the routes to have shortened travel time for now are Dhaka-Noakhali, Dhaka-Jamalpur, Chittagong-Sylhet and Chittagong Mymensingh.
Four mail trains will also come under this system, including the Dhaka-Comilla Demu service and Dhaka-Mymensingh regular train service.
The system will come into effect around the country in phases.
