Amdadul Haque
Online ticket booking or purchasing introduced at all railway stations has greatly benefitted passengers as it is very convenient.
All the trains are following the health safety rules to prevent coronavirus infection. Tickets are sold for half the train capacity. The remaining half of the seats are being left vacant to maintain social distance.
As a result, the possibility of ticket black market has come down to zero quota. Passengers are also happy to get the desired ticket without suffering.
Farhana Laky, a passenger from Kulaura railway station, told the Bangladesh Post that she was very happy to purchase her desired train ticket via online without any hassle.
Another passenger, Bodrul Islam, said, “I have bought two tickets for me and my wife using online app without any extra charge. I purchased the tickets four days ago by using mobile app from my home.”
However, train services resumed on May 31 with 8 pairs of intercity trains. Bangladesh Railway started selling tickets through online from May 30 to avoid health risks. The government on May 29 issued a gazette notification allowing limited operation of public transport and offices from May 31 to June 15 amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The government allowed operations of all offices, businesses and transports to resume at a time when the country is facing its worst bout of the deadly coronavirus. The government has taken such a decision to resume operations in pursuit of life and livelihood amid the pandemic.
Moving around Kamlapur Railway Station, the Bangladesh Post correspondent found a busy scenario where people wearing masks are gathered to go to their destinations. Railway authorities arranged hand washing facilities for people coming at Kamalapur railway station.
From Wednesday morning, passengers were getting on the train at different stations of the country strictly maintaining the hygiene rules. Passengers were being allowed to board the train after checking their body temperature and cleaning their hands and feet with disinfectant.
Sabiha Poly, a passenger at Kamlapur Railway station, told the Bangladesh Post that she was facing a completely new experience. It was like a different train journey in her life.
According to Bangladesh Railway, the Banalata Express from Chapainawabganj has a capacity of 986 passengers. But in order to maintain social distance, half or 493 tickets were released online for sale and 492 were sold.
On the Sylhet-Dhaka route, 143 out of 276 seats of the Kalni Express were sold. On the Chittagong-Dhaka route, 387 out of 454 seats of the Subarna Express were sold. Of the 441 seats on the Khulna-Dhaka route, 340 tickets were sold.
There was a demand for almost all train tickets on the return journey. All the 448 seats of Panchagarh Express, all the 285 seats of Lalmoni Express, all the tickets of Chitra Express were sold. On the return journey, tickets for 99 and 81 seats of Subarna Express and Sonar Bangla on the Dhaka-Chittagong route remained unsold.
In the second phase, eleven pairs of passenger intercity trains resumed operations from Wednesday, Bangladesh Railway said.
Directorate General of Bangladesh Railway Shamsuzzaman told media that train services resumed with eight pairs of intercity trains following health safety guidelines from May 31. After four days, 11 pairs of trains have resumed operation, he said.
The trains are – Teesta Express on Dhaka-Dewanganj Bazar-Dhaka route, Benapole Express on Benapole-Dhaka-Benapole route, Nilsagar Express on Chilahati-Dhaka-Chilahati route, Rupsha Express on Khulna-Chilahati route, Kopotakkho Express on Khulna-Rajshahi-Khulna route, Madhumati Express on Rajshahi-Goalandaghat-Rajshahi route, Meghna Express on Chandpur-Chattogram-Chandpur route, Kishoreganj Express on Dhaka-Kishoreganj-Dhaka route, Upakul Express on Noakhali-Dhaka-Noakhali route, Brahmmaputra Express on Dewanganj Bazar-Dhaka-Dewanganj Bazar route and Kurigram Express on Kurigram-Dhaka-Kurigram route.
“Half the total capacity of the tickets of the trains will be sold considering the coronavirus situation,” he said, adding that passengers will have to purchase tickets online.
Meanwhile, the instructions have been given out by Bangladesh Railway to individual passengers to follow the hygiene rules. These are- train will not stop at the airport, Tongi and Joydebpur station. Everyone has to get on the train from Kamalapur. Bedding will not be provided in the AC cabin. The sale of food on the train will be suspended. It is not allowed to move from one compartment to another. One has to enter the station one hour before leaving the train for body temperature test.
Besides, tickets can be bought online and tickets will not be sold at the station. People cannot enter the station without ticket. Passenger must come to the station wearing mask. The temperature will be checked with a thermal scanner. No sick patient will be able to board the trains.
A railway ministry senior information officer Shariful Alam told Bangladesh Post that the selling online tickets and the new system would remain applicable till June 15 and further decision in this regard would be taken as per government directives.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Railway, Selim Reza said, “Online ticket sales are getting good response from passengers. We have noticed that most of the tickets are sold out.”
He said, “The biggest issue is ensuring transparency in ticket receipts as tickets are sold online. There is no system of tickets being sold at the counters and black marketers and none will be able to take advantages. Because, to buy a ticket online, you need a national identity card or birth registration number.”