Advance train ticket sales for Eid-ul-Azha to begin May 13

Bangladesh Railway has announced that advance train ticket sales for the upcoming Eid al-Azha will begin on May 13, with tickets for May 23 journeys available on the first day. 

As in previous years, all advance tickets will be sold online to ease passenger access.

The decision was taken at a preparatory meeting held on Tuesday at the Railways Ministry ahead of Eid travel. Railway Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam said ticket sales will continue in phases until the days leading up to the festival.

According to the schedule, tickets for May 23-27 journeys will be sold from May 13 to May 17 respectively. Return ticket sales will begin on May 21, starting with tickets for May 31 journeys, followed by June 1-4 tickets sold through May 25.

Ticket sales will follow a staggered timing system: trains in the western region will have tickets available from 8:00 AM, while eastern region tickets will be released from 2:00 PM. 

Each passenger will be allowed to purchase up to four tickets per day and these tickets will be non-refundable.

To accommodate additional demand, 25 percent of tickets (excluding higher-class seats) will be sold as standing tickets at station counters on the day of travel.

Bangladesh Railway will also operate 10 special passenger trains during the Eid period. These include the ‘Teesta Special’ on the Dhaka-Dewanganj route and the ‘Chandpur Special’ on the Chattogram-Chandpur route, which will run from May 25 until the day before Eid and again from the second day of Eid for three days.

Another service, the ‘Parbatipur Special’ on the Joydebpur-Parbatipur route, will operate for three days before Eid (May 24-26) and for three days afterward. 

Additionally, four special trains will run on Eid day to transport passengers from Bhairab and Mymensingh to Sholakia Eidgah.

For transporting sacrificial animals, two special cattle trains will run on May 22 and 23 from Dewanganj Bazar and Islampur Bazar to Kamalapur, Tejgaon and Dhaka Cantonment stations.

SH