Trains to operate at full capacity from Wednesday
From 9 February, half of the total tickets of intercity trains will be sold at stations and the rest to be sold online
After 24 days, trains will resume carrying passengers at full capacity as the authorities decided to issue tickets for 100% seats from 9 February (Wednesday).
Bangladesh Railway has taken the decision, seeing the pressure of passengers in trains and the downward trend in the infection rate of Omicron variant of coronavirus, said a notice issued on Monday by the Director General's office of Bangladesh Railway.
The notice also said the pressure of passengers in trains has increased as people have been travelling to different destinations after taking Covid-19 vaccines.
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Moreover, meeting the passengers' demand has become necessary to keep the country's financial activities running.
From 9 February, half of the total tickets of intercity trains will be sold at stations and the rest to be sold online.
In the notice, Bangladesh Railway has also postponed the sale of standing and platform tickets.
The notice also directed the passengers to wear masks while buying tickets at the counter and travelling by train.
Earlier, the ministry directed that trains will carry passengers at half capacity from 15 January, maintaining health safety rules as a precaution to curb the spread of Omicron.
At present, the railway operates 397 trains, of which 104 are intercity trains.
Passenger train operation was closed in 2020 when Covid-19 started to spread in the country. Train operation resumed from July that year at a limited scale, keeping half the seats vacant.
