10 Special Trains to Run From Monday: Railway Minister

A total of 10 special trains (five pairs) will hit the tracks on Monday to handle the massive rush of homebound Eid passengers, Railway Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam announced today.

The Minister shared the update during an inspection of the Kamalapur Railway Station on Sunday (May 24) to assess Eid-ul-Adha travel arrangements.

Capacity Challenges and Special Measures

Acknowledging the massive demand-supply gap, the Minister noted that Bangladesh Railway's existing infrastructure falls short of public demand.

"Every day, we can accommodate roughly 32,000 passengers on regular intercity trains. For Eid, we have boosted this capacity by 25%, allowing an additional 4,000 travelers. However, with hundreds of thousands wanting to travel by train, crowd management remains a steep challenge," Alam said.

To ensure safety amid infrastructure constraints, the ministry has flagged high-risk zones prone to accidents or derailments. "We have not been able to scale up the number of train lines, locomotives, and coaches at the rate we need," the Minister admitted. "But we have taken strict precautionary measures at vulnerable points. We are highly vigilant and confident that the current state of the tracks will prevent any major disasters."

Schedule Disruptions and Security Concerns

Addressing train delays on Sunday morning, Alam confirmed that three trains ran behind schedule due to an unexpected mechanical glitch.

"One train suffered a minor wheel slippage on the tracks. A relief team was dispatched immediately to resolve the issue. Because of this, two or three connecting trains were delayed—ranging from 20 minutes to two hours," he explained.

The Minister also pointed out ongoing security vulnerabilities, noting that several stations across the network remain un-entrenched, making it difficult to fully control unauthorized access.

Online Ticketing and Service Improvements

Despite the challenges, the Minister emphasized that the overall travel environment and ticketing transparency have significantly improved.

"Passengers themselves have told me how dilapidated the conditions used to be. Today, the service is cleaner, schedules are tighter, and online ticketing has eliminated the notorious black-market syndicates. Tickets were strictly sold on a first-come, first-served basis online," he stated.

Additionally, 51 newly unveiled coaches have been integrated into the fleet to maximize passenger comfort during the festive rush.

State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid Habib, Railway Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam, and Bangladesh Railway Director General Md. Afzal Hossain were also present during the station inspection.