The government is launching a series of initiatives aimed at making the purchase of train tickets easier, more transparent and more user-friendly for passengers.

According to Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, advisor to the Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railways and the Ministry of Railways are working together to revamp the system, introducing changes that will also include changes to the country’s railway routes and improvements to the online ticketing process.

In a special interview with UNB, Councilor Fouzul outlined the various measures taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the railway’s e-ticketing system.

“We are working to simplify the ticket purchasing process and ensure passenger satisfaction. We aim to make ticket purchasing more accessible so that people can easily purchase their tickets. We hope to see the benefits of these changes soon ” he said.

He stressed that passenger satisfaction with the ticket purchasing process is crucial. He pointed out that many passengers are disappointed when they cannot get tickets to their desired destinations online. To resolve this issue, Bangladesh Railway officials have been tasked to ensure that remaining tickets for nearby stations and available schedules are automatically displayed in the search options. Additionally, if necessary, external experts will be consulted to refine the process.

In a bold move to ensure fairness, the advisor confirmed that manual booking of tickets for government officials would be stopped. “Many requests for tickets come from the railway secretary or other officials, and some tickets were often pre-reserved. This practice will no longer continue. No tickets will be reserved at the request of a secretary or a “The rights of the general public must be ensured first,” added the advisor.

Efforts are also underway to meet the growing demand for passenger and freight transport, with the acquisition of additional locomotives and wagons being pursued to support the introduction of additional rail services. Bangladesh Railway, in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, is working to procure the necessary resources quickly.

Addressing the issue of route rationalization, the rail advisor explained that trains are currently running on some routes with low passenger demand, while other routes with high demand remain underserved. “There are places where trains are running without passengers, and in other places where there is demand, there are no trains,” he said. He stressed that routes frequently used by Bangladeshis working abroad, such as Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Chattogram, would be given special attention and arrangements would be made accordingly.

As well as improving rail services, the government is tackling the problem of ticket scalping. A committee, headed by the ministry’s additional secretary (Administration), has been formed to resolve the issue, along with efforts to streamline routes.

“We are involving young people to help prevent ticket scalping. Strict action will be taken against those involved in scalping, including railway staff. Additionally, we have plans in place to make it easier to obtain tickets for the public,” said the advisor.

Councilor Fouzul was firm in his stance against corruption in ticket sales, saying that if scalping or a lack of transparency was detected, those responsible would not be spared. “We are serious about eliminating scalping and any unfair practices in the system,” he added.

Regarding the issue of online ticketing, he revealed that Shohoz.com, the company responsible for ticket sales, had been tasked with resolving various ongoing issues. Despite the widespread problem of unavailability of tickets online while tickets are found at inflated prices on the black market, he assured that steps were being taken to tackle the root cause.

“The government can be criticized for inaction, but solving these problems will take time. Over the last two and a half months, we have worked to get to the bottom of these problems,” he said.

Further improvements to the online system are underway, with instructions issued to ensure customers can access alternative options through the Shohoz app. A high-level committee has been formed to oversee these changes and ensure their successful implementation.

Responding to concerns about late train departures, Councilor Fouzul said the government takes punctuality very seriously.

“Passengers often face difficulties if they miss their train due to delays. We have given clear instructions to the relevant authorities, although sometimes incidents such as line clearance problems or accidents can cause delays ” he said.

He added that railway officials had been asked to act more responsibly in the face of these challenges to ensure smoother operations.