Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh Railways has decided to operate special trains to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the upcoming Durga Puja holidays.
To address demand in the eastern region, four pairs of additional (tourist special) trains will be run from 30 September on the Dhaka–Chittagong, Chittagong–Dhaka, and Dhaka–Cox’s Bazar–Dhaka routes.
The decision was made at a coordination meeting held on Thursday at the Ministry of Railways, chaired by Secretary Md. Fahimul Islam.
All tickets for these special trains will be sold online.
Besides, the weekly off-days of two intercity trains — Padma Express and Modhumoti Express, running on the Rajshahi–Dhaka–Rajshahi route — have been suspended ensuring smoother travel during the Durga Puja, the biggest religious celebration for the Hindu community.
The Padma Express will operate on September 30 (Tuesday) and the Modhumoti Express on 4 October (Saturday), aligning with the increased passenger demand. Both trains will follow their regular schedules on these additional days, and tickets can be purchased online.
The weekly off-days will resume as usual from the following week.
This year’s Durga Puja coincides with a stretch of government holidays from 1 to 4 October, resulting in four consecutive public holidays.
