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Special trains will run during Durga Puja
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.
Additionally, all educational institutions across the country will remain closed from 28 September to 8 October, further contributing to the expected travel rush.
To prevent passenger harassment and control ticketless travel, mobile courts will be deployed at Kamalapur Railway Station and Biman Bandar Railway Station in Dhaka.
A vigilance team, formed by the Ministry of Railways, will also be active to monitor the overall situation and ensure smooth operations.
Preparations for the holiday period have already been completed by the Ministry of Railways and Bangladesh Railways, with additional security and operational measures.
During the meeting, necessary directives were issued to ensure smooth travel and maintain law and order throughout the holiday period.
Md. Afzal Hossain, director general of Bangladesh Railway, Md. Rupam Anwar, additional secretary, as well as senior officials from the Railway Police (GRP), Railway Security Force (RNB), and other departments, were also present, reports UNB.