Bangladesh Railway will add special extra coaches to nine intercity trains of the Western Zone (WZ) to ensure a comfortable and hassle-free journey for passengers returning home for Eid-ul-Azha.
Railway sources confirmed that the additional coaches will operate at different times between May 23 and June 7. In addition, a special train will run between Joydebpur and Parbatipur to facilitate travel for passengers from the northern region.
Farid Ahmed, General Manager of Western Zone Railway, said that one extra coach will be attached to the nine intercity trains before Eid and two extra coaches after Eid, including both non-AC and AC coaches. The additional capacity will generally be available from May 23 to May 27 before Eid, and from May 29 to June 7 after Eid. However, train No. 793, the Panchagarh Express, will not operate on May 27.
Extra coaches will remain attached to the Nilphamari/Rocket and Sirajganj Express from May 23 to June 6. Before and after Eid, additional coaches will also be added to Rajshahi-route trains, including Banalata Express, Silkcity Express, Padma Express and Dhumketu Express, as well as to northern trains Drutojan Express, Panchagarh Express and Ekota Express.
To meet this demand, workers at the Saidpur Railway Workshop in Nilphamari are working around the clock. At this historic workshop, established in 1870, a record 127 coaches are being repaired for Eid-ul-Azha, 21 more than the 106 prepared for the last Eid-ul-Fitr. Shah Sufi Nur Mohammad, Divisional Superintendent of the workshop, confirmed that 99 coaches have already been repaired and handed over to the traffic department, with the remaining 28 to be delivered by next Saturday.
In addition, 103 coaches have been delivered to meet demand in the Pakshi and Lalmonirhat divisions, with the rest to be supplied soon. The coaches will increase capacity on key routes, including Chilahati, Panchagarh, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Dhaka and Chattogram.
Despite a severe manpower shortage, with only 664 personnel working out of 2,859 approved posts, the workshop staff are completing repairs through extra effort. Ruhul Amin, engineer in charge of the Schedule Shop, and Mominul Islam, head of the Carriage Shop, said that ensuring a safe and comfortable journey for passengers during Eid remains their top priority.
Across 24 specialised workshops, including bogie, heavy repair, carriage construction and paint shops, staff are replacing dilapidated coach structures, repairing trolleys, arranging seating, and fixing electrical connections.
The eastern region is also preparing for increased travel. At the Pahartali Railway Workshop in Chattogram, 124 coaches are being repaired to maintain normal train operations, while 127 coaches are being prepared in Saidpur for the western region. Mostafa Zakir Hasan, superintendent of the Pahartali workshop, said that passenger pressure during Eid-ul-Azha is higher than Eid-ul-Fitr, so repairs began one and a half months in advance. Of the 124 coaches, 99 have already been repaired and handed over to the transport department, with the remainder ready before the start of the holidays.
The railway’s transport department stated that, in addition to adding two to five extra coaches to regular trains during Eid, special trains will operate on key routes to ensure smooth and comfortable travel for passengers returning home.
