First day of Eid journey by train goes by smoothly

The journey of holidaymakers from Dhaka and its surrounding areas to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in their home districts saw a smooth start on Wednesday (3 April).

Additionally, the railway authorities also opened advance ticket sales for return journeys.

According to Masud Sarwar, station manager of Kamalapur Railway Station, one train had experienced a slight delay in the morning, but the rest of the departures from Dhaka station were on time.

"The delay of one train by an hour didn't disrupt the overall schedule significantly," said the station manager, adding that as the crowd was not too big, passengers could board trains without any inconvenience.

Neelima Akhtar, waiting at the station for Chattala Express Train bound for Chattogram, expressed her surprise at the smoothness of the journey, particularly considering she was travelling with her children. She said, "I thought the train would be very crowded but it was smooth sailing for us."

Another passenger, Tanvir, said, "The stations are free today [yesterday] as it's the first day of Eid travels but I think the crowd will grow from tomorrow."

The day witnessed train departures from Kamalapur Railway Station starting from 6am, ensuring a timely commencement of journeys for holidaymakers.

Meanwhile, railway authorities sold advance tickets for April 13 yesterday. Return tickets for April 14 to 19 are scheduled for sale on consecutive days from April 4 (today) to April 9. All tickets are being sold online.