NID rule for buying train tickets, travelling softened

Bangladesh Railway has loosened up the rule that made all the passengers show National Identity Card (NID) while buying train tickets and travelling. 

Four members of a family will now be able to buy tickets by showing one NID, says a notice issued by the railways ministry on Thursday.

Earlier, the authority asked the passengers to use purchased tickets, return tickets for personal use only. 

However, from August 27, 18 more pairs of passenger trains including intercity, mail and commuter ones will resume operation.

An order signed by Bangladesh Railway Deputy Director Khairul Kabir revealed the information.

On August 16, the operation of 13 pairs of trains resumed when 16 pairs were already running. 

Passengers asked to use railway tickets for personal use only

Immediately after the nationwide shutdown, Sonar Bangla Express – on the Dhaka-Chittagong route – stopped running. 

But the intercity train will resume operation soon. Three other commuter trains will also restart their services at the same time. 

Silk City, an important intercity train on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route, will resume service at that time, too.

Earlier, a commuter train resumed operation on August 16. 

More than 200 passenger trains including 50 pairs of intercity trains ran before the nationwide shutdown. And almost all of these trains are about to resume services.

However, health rules have not been relaxed yet. 

Trains will continue to carry 50 percent passengers of their capacity and tickets will be sold online only.

However, almost all the trains that are yet to resume operation are mail, local and commuter ones. 

And the service of Maitri Express (Dhaka-Kolkata) and Bandhan Express (Khulna-Kolkata) have remained suspended.

Among the stations, Dhaka Airport, Joydebpur, Tongi, and Narsingdi railway stations have remained shut. 

However, these stations are likely to resume operation soon.