An Eid special train will run from Joydebpur Railway Junction to Panchagarh for five days on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr to facilitate the uninterrupted journey of readymade-garment workers of Gazipur.
Dhaka Divisional Railway Manager Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman announced it at a press conference at Joydebpu Railway Junction on Wednesday afternoon.
The train will stop at Kismat, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Parbatipur, Fulbari, Birampur, Joypurhat and Santahar stations.
This is the first such initiative by the railway authorities for garment workers.
Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman told reporters that the Eid special train will run on the Joydebpur-Panchagarh route from April 18 to April 20, and after Eid from April 24 and 25.
The train will leave Joydebpur station at 7:15pm every day and reach Bir Muktijoddha Sirajul Islam Railway Station at 5:25am the next day, said the manager.
On the way back, the train will leave Bir Muktijoddha Sirajul Islam Railway Station at 6:25am and reach Joydebpur Junction at 3:45pm, he added.
Advance ticket sales will start on Friday, and the tickets will be sold online only, said Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman.
The railway official said a passenger can purchase a maximum of four tickets using his/her National Identity Card (NID). The person, who purchases the ticket using NID must be present on the train.
Advance train tickets can be purchased daily from 8am onwards. For this, online registration must be done using NID in advance, he said.
“The early online registration began on March 1 and already 1.5 million passengers have completed their registration for Eid tickets online,” he added.
Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman also said 25% of passengers will be allowed to buy standing tickets from the stations on the day of the trip.
“Another special train will run from Dhaka to North Bengal. Apart from this, all other trains will run as per the previous schedule,” said Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman.
“Preparations have been taken to ensure a smooth and safe Eid journey for passengers,” he added.
