No extra fares being charged on trains, say Rail authorities

Bangladesh Railway yesterday (18 March) said there is no scope for ticket examiners or counters to charge extra fare from passengers, dismissing recent claims circulating on social media.

In a statement, the railway authorities said fares are collected strictly according to government-approved rates, and there is no instance of collecting additional money without issuing receipts.

The clarification came after allegations spread online that passengers were being charged extra by travelling ticket examiners (TTEs) and ticket counters.

According to railway rules, if a passenger is found travelling without a ticket, the TTE can collect the full fare from the starting station to the destination along with an equal amount as a fine.

Citing a recent example, the authorities said a passenger travelling without a ticket on the Jayantika Express from Sylhet was caught at Dhaka Airport Railway Station. As the regular fare on the Sylhet-Dhaka route is Tk410, a total of Tk820 was collected as fare and fine in line with the rules.

The railway also said short-distance tickets are restricted during Eid to prevent passengers from travelling longer distances using such tickets.

In another case, a passenger without a ticket to Narsingdi was issued a ticket from Akhaura at a fare of Tk 195, which was collected as per rules. No extra money was taken in that case, it added.

Bangladesh Railway said all officials involved in fare collection are government employees and have no scope to charge beyond the fixed rates.

It warned that legal action would be taken if any complaint of overcharging is proven and urged passengers not to spread misinformation that could harm the image of the railway.