Four pairs of long-distance trains to skip Bidhannagar Road Station from October 27

Kolkata : The Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division has announced the withdrawal of stoppages of four pairs of long-distance express trains at Bidhannagar Road station from October 27, citing safety and operational constraints.

Officials said the decision follows a detailed review of passenger movement and platform management at the busy suburban station, which handles an average daily footfall of around 1.7 lakh.

The limited platform capacity at the station often results in overcrowding and inconvenience, particularly during the halt of Mail and Express trains.

The affected trains are the Gour Express (Sealdah–Malda Town and vice versa), Uttarbanga Express (Sealdah–Bamanhat and vice versa), Kanchankanya Express (Sealdah–Alipurduar and vice versa), and Gangasagar Express (Sealdah–Jayanagar and vice versa). The withdrawal will take effect from the journeys commencing October 26 in the up direction and October 27 in the down direction.

According to officials, the four trains recorded a negligible passenger count at Bidhannagar Road, averaging only two to five passengers per trip. “Withdrawal of these non-essential halts will facilitate smoother flow of passengers at the station and contribute to more efficient management of train movements in the high-density section,” said a Railway official.

The Sealdah Division has already initiated measures to streamline operations at Bidhannagar Road by earmarking platforms for specific routes on a trial basis to reduce congestion. The withdrawal of stoppages at the station forms part of this broader effort.