Bangladesh Railway is increasing the capacity of its Western Zone network to handle the rush of Eid holidays. The railway administration has finalised plans to attach extra coaches to several key intercity routes to make the journey smoother, safer and more comfortable for thousands of homebound passengers. The move is part of a strategy to ease the heavy travel pressure emanating from Dhaka and other hubs during the Eid-ul-Azha festival to be held next week.
9 Trains Extra Coaches
The authority has decided to add extra coaches to nine major intercity trains in the Western Zone on a systematic basis following seasonal demand projections, said Farid Ahmed, General Manager, West Zone Railway.
- The capacity upgrade will be rolled out over the holiday window.
- Pre-Eid Phase: A coach will be attached to each of the nine designated trains before Eid.
- After Eid phase: To cope with the return rush after Eid, two more coaches will be attached to the trains.
These additional attachments will comprise both air-conditioned (AC) and non-air-conditioned (non-AC) coaches. This means that the railway can greatly increase capacity without relying on a handful of dedicated special trains.
How will tickets be sold?
To control the crowd and for a fair distribution process, the intercity Eid train tickets of Bangladesh Railway will be sold only online. The passengers must use the official Bangladesh Railway E-Ticketing Portal or the official Rail Sheba Mobile App.
The identity verification and booking system has strict rules:
- Mandatory Registration: All passengers are required to register with a valid National Identity Card (NID), passport or birth certificate.
- Identity Verification: All ticket buyers must go through identity verification for intercity ticket purchase.
- Transaction Limits: advance and return tickets are sold in specific date windows, and there are strict per-transaction ticket limits in place to help prevent black-market ticketing.
The process involves logging into the authenticated profile, searching for the preferred route, selecting the available coach type or seat and securing payment through mobile financial services or credit cards on the opening of the sale window.
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Important tips for travellers
The need for seats skyrockets exponentially within minutes of the sale opening, so early planning is a must to get a spot:
- Pre-check profiles: Register in the Rail Sheba platform and verify your NID a few days before the sale.
- Have Payment Information Ready: Ensure your digital wallets or bank cards are loaded with enough money and ready to go for quick transaction verification.
- Search for Route Variants: Check the exact timings of the enhanced Western Zone services, as there will be minor changes in the standard timetables along with the introduction of seasonal special cattle and passenger trains.
- Maintain Your Connectivity: Having a stable internet connection will greatly reduce the chances of your transaction timing out or the gateway failing due to the high volume of digital traffic.
In short, Bangladesh Railway is adding one more coach before Eid and two more after Eid to nine intercity trains of the Western Zone, a mix of AC and non-AC coaches, to enhance the Eid 2026 capacity. Travellers must register early with their NID or passport and make their purchases online through the official e-ticketing platform to secure a seat.
