Sealdah Division postpones decision to restructure 11 MEMU services; introduces special suburban trains in South section

Kolkata: Eastern Railway’s (ER) Sealdah Division has postponed its decision to restructure 11 Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) services, including the bifurcation of nine long-distance trains operating between Sealdah/Kolkata and Lalgola. The decision, which was scheduled to be implemented from June 4, has been withdrawn, citing operational exigencies. The restructuring plan involved converting 11 MEMU services into Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) operations. Of these, nine trains on the Sealdah/Kolkata-Lalgola route were to be split into two segments, from Sealdah or Kolkata to Krishnanagar and then from Krishnanagar to Lalgola and vice versa, with a temporary halt at Krishnanagar ranging between 19 and 32 minutes.

This halt was intended to provide passengers access to station amenities, particularly toilets, which are not available in EMU coaches. The decision followed growing complaints from passengers, particularly elderly commuters and women, regarding the lack of sanitation facilities on EMU rakes that have been used in MEMU services over the past few months. The nearly 250-kilometre journey to Lalgola takes approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, causing considerable discomfort due to the absence of toilets, which are typically present in MEMU rakes. Although the plan was designed to address these concerns temporarily through scheduled halts, railway officials have confirmed that its implementation has been put on hold. These services will continue to operate under the existing arrangements.

Meanwhile, in an effort to ease passenger congestion in the southern suburban section, the Sealdah Division has introduced five special EMU services on an experimental basis from June 5. These include two services on the Ballygunge-Namkhana section and three on the Ballygunge-Canning section, all of which will stop at every station en route. The special services include a Sonarpur-Namkhana EMU departing at 6:35 pm, and a Namkhana-Ballygunge service leaving at 5:12 am. A Ballygunge-Canning service will depart at 8:04 am, followed by a return service from Canning at 9:40 am. Another service from Ballygunge to Sonarpur will depart at 11:25 am.