Railway Rolls Out Online Ticket Sales Ahead of Eid-ul-Adha

Bangladesh Railway has started selling advance train tickets ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha, assuming June 7 as the tentative date for the religious festival. Ticket sales for the second day of Eid travel (June 1) began at 8:00 AM on Thursday, May 22.

Tickets for trains operating under the Western Zone of Bangladesh Railway were sold out early in the day, while sales for the Eastern Zone trains began at 2:00 PM. In an effort to ease passenger access and prevent congestion, the railway authority is selling 100% of tickets exclusively online, continuing the trend of recent years. No tickets are being sold at physical counters.

A visit to the official ticketing website revealed that demand is highest for trains bound for northern regions, with most tickets for these routes selling out by 8:30 AM. However, seats on some northern-bound trains remained available for a few hours.

How to Purchase Train Tickets Online

Passengers can buy tickets from the official Bangladesh Railway website at https://railapp.railway.gov.bd.

Registration Process:

1. Visit the website and click on the ‘Registration’ tab at the top.

2. Fill in personal information such as name, mobile number, and email address.

3. An OTP (One-Time Password) will be sent to the mobile number for verification.

4. Upon successful verification, the registration will be complete, and users will be automatically logged in.

Steps to Purchase Tickets:

1. If not auto-logged in, log in using your email and password.

2. Enter the date of travel, departure station, destination, and travel class (e.g., Shovon, AC), then click on the “Find Ticket” button.

3. The website will display available trains, seat status, and departure times.

4. Click “View Seats” to select an available seat, then proceed with “Continue Purchase.”

5. Complete the payment using Visa, Mastercard, or bKash.

Ticket Download and Collection:

After payment, an e-ticket will automatically download and also be sent to the registered email. Passengers must print the ticket and bring a photo ID to the station to collect the official copy.

This year, the total number of intercity train seats available from Dhaka to various destinations is 33,315, as per Bangladesh Railway’s special Eid operations plan.

According to the plan, advance tickets for Eid travel began on May 21 with seats for May 31. Tickets for June 2 through June 6 will be sold on the following schedule:

• June 2 tickets: May 23

• June 3 tickets: May 24

• June 4 tickets: May 25

• June 5 tickets: May 26

• June 6 tickets: May 27

Tickets for these seven days before Eid are being sold under special arrangements and are non-refundable. Each passenger can purchase up to four tickets in a single transaction.