Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Sunday said there is no fear of any major disruption to train schedules during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha travel rush, despite a significant increase in passenger pressure on routes from Dhaka.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a visit to Kamalapur Railway Station in the capital, where he inspected passenger services and ongoing operations ahead of the Eid journey period.
The minister acknowledged that demand for rail travel increases sharply during Eid, as a large number of people leave Dhaka for their home districts. He noted that although passenger demand is very high, the existing number of trains and available carrying capacity remain insufficient compared to the surge in demand.
According to him, around 32,000 passengers usually travel daily on intercity trains from Dhaka. However, with the introduction of 25 per cent additional Eid tickets, the daily passenger count has increased to nearly 40,000. He added that the actual demand during the Eid period exceeds one lakh passengers per day.
Rabiul Alam said railway operations are being conducted with maximum caution using existing aging railway tracks and locomotives. He also said authorities are trying to maintain services within seating capacity despite the additional ticket allocation.
During his surprise inspection, the minister said he boarded two trains without prior notice and interacted with passengers, many of whom expressed satisfaction with the services. He also claimed that the condition of trains and station platforms appeared satisfactory.
He further stated that railway management has improved compared to previous years, adding that the online ticketing system has helped reduce ticket black marketing to a significant extent.
For Eid operations, authorities have added 51 additional coaches across different routes, while around 82 to 83 metre-gauge locomotives are currently in operation. The minister added that more locomotives will be brought into service soon to further reduce the risk of schedule disruptions during the peak travel period.
