Kolkata: The Sealdah Division will roll out two more air-conditioned (AC) local train services from next week, connecting Sealdah with Bangaon and Krishnanagar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajeev Saxena announced on Monday.
The move follows the strong response to the first AC local service launched between Sealdah and Ranaghat on August 11. Officials said the trains have witnessed steadily rising patronage. Against a seating capacity of 2,232, occupancy has on several occasions touched 160 percent, with the highest load recorded at 3,626 passengers on a single trip.
“Since we have one more AC EMU rake available with us, we have planned two additional services,” Saxena said. “Depending on passenger response, the timings and stoppages may be adjusted. We are trying to introduce them by next week so that the services are stabilised ahead of the Puja season.”
The first new service will run on the Ranaghat–Bangaon–Sealdah corridor, departing Ranaghat at 7:11 am and Bangaon at 7:52 am to reach Sealdah at 9:37 am. On the return journey, it will leave Sealdah at 6:14 pm, reach Bangaon at 8:04 pm and terminate at Ranaghat at 8:41 pm. Fares will range from Rs 35 between Sealdah and Bidhannagar Road or Dum Dum, Rs 120 for Bangaon and Rs 150 up to Ranaghat.
The second AC local will connect Sealdah and Krishnanagar City Junction. It will depart Sealdah at 9:48 am and reach Krishnanagar at 12:07 pm, while the return service will leave Krishnanagar at 1:30 pm and arrive at Sealdah at 3:40 pm. Fares will start at Rs 35 for short distances, Rs 120 up to Ranaghat and Rs 140 for Krishnanagar.
With these additions, Sealdah Division will operate three pairs of AC suburban trains, all linked to Ranaghat. The services are being scheduled to supplement the extended Kolkata Metro network, offering interchange options at Sealdah (Green Line), Dum Dum Junction (Blue Line) and Dum Dum Cantonment (Yellow Line).
At present, the division counts seven interchange points with Metro—Sealdah, Dum Dum, Dum Dum Cantonment, Baranagar, Dakshineswar, New Garia and Majherhat—and connectivity upgrades are underway. At Dum Dum Cantonment, a foot overbridge to the Metro is being built along with improvements to the approach road and circulating area.
At New Garia, a full-length loop line is planned in sync with the reopening of Kavi Subhash station, now closed for structural repairs. Extensions or originations of more suburban services at New Garia during peak hours are also under consideration to serve commuters from Namkhana, Canning and Diamond Harbour bound for the IT hub in Sector V. Another major plan to decongest Sealdah station involves streamlining traffic management. Dedicated lanes will be created for different categories of vehicles to prevent haphazard movement. “For example, there could be separate lanes for parking, quick drop-offs, or two-wheelers,” Saxena said.
Apart from the AC services, two Bidhan Nagar–Kalyani EMU trains are planned for the evening peak and one pair of Barasat–Hasnabad services for the midday period, with start dates to be announced later.