Railway East seeks surcharge on fares to cover rail bridge maintenance
Travel cost to go up by Tk15 to Tk220
Highlights:
- Eastern Zone spans Dhaka, Ctg, Sylhet, Mymensingh, with 28 bridges on eight routes
- If approved, passengers have to pay Tk15-Tk220 more, depending on class and route
- Railway spends Tk2.50 for every Tk1 earned, with annual losses above Tk2,000 crore
- Officials seek higher earnings without raising base fares by adjusting pontage charges
Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone has proposed a surcharge on train fares to cover the cost of maintaining rail bridges, a move that could increase ticket prices on at least eight routes, including the Dhaka-Chattogram line.
A proposal outlining the plan has already been sent to the headquarters, Railway Bhaban, for approval. If implemented, passengers will have to pay between Tk15 and Tk220 more, depending on seat class.
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According to railway officials, the additional fee, known as a pontage charge, is a longstanding system where bridges and other major infrastructure are considered as extra distance when calculating fares.
Under the new proposal, every 100 metres of bridge length would be counted as 2.5km of track distance, effectively increasing the total distance "on paper" and thus raising fares.
The pontage charge or maintenance fee dates back to the British era, when railway operators began collecting fees to offset the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating bridges.
When the Padma Bridge opened, its 6.15km length was multiplied by 25 for fare calculation purposes, while the 4.8km Jamuna Bridge was treated the same way. Previously, the pontage charge multiplier was 16.8, but this was raised to 25 at the time of the Padma Bridge's opening.
The Eastern Zone now seeks to apply the same system. As per railway data, the region, covering Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions, has 28 bridges longer than 100 metres across its eight main routes.
Push for higher revenue
The move comes as Bangladesh Railway struggles with mounting losses. Between July and December last year, the railway earned Tk836 crore from passenger, freight, and other services, but spent Tk2,148 crore.
In recent years, the state-run operator has been losing over Tk2,000 crore annually. Currently, it spends about Tk2.50 for every Tk1 earned, compared with Tk1.50 in expenses for every Tk1 in income back in 2005.
At a meeting on 25 May this year, Railways Secretary Md Fahimul Islam advised railway officials to increase revenue without directly raising base ticket prices. Instead, he instructed the Eastern Zone to review and adjust pontage charges on bridges over 100 metres long.
Shahidul Islam, joint director (operations) of Bangladesh Railway, told TBS, "Apart from construction, railways have to spend on bridge maintenance every few years. This cost is collected through charges. Such charges have already been increased for the Padma and Jamuna bridges.
"Now, a similar proposal has been initiated for implementation in the eastern zone. The proposal will be reviewed and approved accordingly."
Proposed fare changes
The office of the chief commercial manager has already drawn up a revised fare list and submitted it to the Railway Bhaban. Separate fare structures have been proposed for regular passenger trains and non-stop intercity services.
Once administrative approval is granted, the process of collecting the revised fares will begin.
The office of the Chief Commercial Manager of Bangladesh Railway has prepared a proposed fare chart by adding the new charge. Separate fares have been fixed for regular trains and non-stop intercity trains, and the proposal has been sent to the Railway Ministry. Once administrative approval is granted, the process of collecting the revised fares will begin.
On the Dhaka-Chattogram route, the official distance is currently 346km. With the new pontage charges, it would be treated as 381km.
This would push mail train fares up from Tk135 to Tk150, while air-conditioned Snigdha class tickets could rise from Tk777 to Tk850. Commuter and Shovon chair tickets would go up by Tk20 and Tk40, respectively.
In recent years, the state-run operator has been losing over Tk2,000 crore annually. Currently, it spends about Tk2.50 for every Tk1 earned, compared with Tk1.50 in expenses for every Tk1 in income back in 2005
For intercity trains, the Snigdha class fare would also rise to Tk850, while AC berth tickets would increase from Tk1,588 to Tk1,747. On non-stop services such as the Subarna Express and Sonar Bangla Express, Snigdha class tickets would jump from Tk855 to Tk945, with AC berths climbing from Tk1,587 to Tk1,747. First class berth and AC seat fares are set to rise by Tk100 to Tk110.
On the Cox's Bazar-bound Tourist Express, Snigdha class tickets would increase from Tk1,322 to Tk1,500, while AC berth fares would rise from Tk2,430 to Tk2,656. First-class berth and AC seat tickets are expected to go up by Tk150.
