‘Eastern Railway ferried over 1.5 crore passengers during Puja’

Kolkata: The Eastern Railway (ER) has carried over 1.5 crore passengers during the Durga Puja festival this year. Both the suburban railway network of the Sealdah Division and the Howrah Division saw a substantial increase in footfall compared to the previous year.

According to the figures given by the ER, from October 8 to 12, covering the days from Panchami to Dashami, the Sealdah Division alone transported over 1 crore suburban passengers.

This marks a 5.16 per cent increase from the 95.36 lakh passengers recorded during the same period last year. On average, 20 lakh passengers travelled daily in this division, nearly double the normal figure.

In the Howrah Division, the footfall from October 10 to 12 reached around 60 lakh, representing a 13.21 per cent increase compared to 52.61 lakh passengers recorded during the previous year’s Puja days. To accommodate the rush during Puja days, ER operated additional suburban local train services.

These extra services were crucial in helping Puja Pandal hoppers comfortably reach their destinations. According to ER, the passengers widely used the suburban Railway networks for commuting from one station to another, contributing to this year’s record-breaking figures.