DOT Desk: Zahir Uddin, a resident of Kishoreganj’s Bhairab, sells fruit in Mymensingh and his favourite mode of transport to the city used to be the train until March 2020 during the pandemic when four local trains in this route were cancelled, reports TBS.
Although the situation has improved since then, the trains on the route have not yet resumed operation due to a shortage of coaches, engines and manpower, according to the railways authority.
“Train travel is easy. It takes less time. Now I have to go through a lot of trouble every day to travel to Mymensingh,” Zahir told The Business Standard.
The local train on the Mymensingh-Bhairab route used to travel four times a day from 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM. The train had stoppages at more than 10 stations and in each trip it used to carry more than 1,000 passengers, including commuters and students.
Thousands of people of both the districts, especially the low earners, preferred this mode of transport and are now struggling since the train has stopped.
For the past two and a half years, a total of 105 trains have remained suspended in routes including, Mymensingh to Dewanganj upazila of Jamalpur, Sylhet to Chatak upazila of Sunamganj, Ishwardi-Parbatipur-Ishwardi, Rajshahi-Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi, Akhaura-Sylhet-Akhaura, Laksam-Chandpur-Laksam, Laksam-Noakhali-Laksam, Chattogram-Nazirhat, Chattogram-Dohajari-Chattogram and Dhaka-Narayanganj routes.