Online Desk: It will be compulsory for passengers to have copies of their identification cards when travelling on intercity trains from March 1 to keep black marketing and unauthorised travel in check, the railways minister said today. As part of an upgraded ticketing system, all passengers will have to register their NID cards or birth certificates with Bangladesh Railway (BR), Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said at a press briefing at the Railway Bhaban.

People will be able to register using NID, birth registration or passport using BR’s system from tomorrow. No one will be allowed to buy tickets of intercity trains without pre-registration from March 1, he said. Other than this, railway authorities will set up a help-desk at major stations to facilitate this transition from next week. Railway staffers will, for the first time, use POS (point of sales) machines to check the matter and issue tickets on board for those travelling without tickets, he said.