Local train services in Sealdah South Section resume after 14-hour suspension

Kolkata: Local train services in the Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway (ER) resumed from Friday Morning after a 14-hour suspension as a precautionary measure due to Cyclone ‘Dana’. Despite the resumption, weekday crowds were notably absent due to continuous rainfall from the previous night, deterring people from venturing out.

Train services from Sealdah South Section and Hasnabad Section were suspended from 8 pm on October 24 until 10 am on October 25, leading to the cancellation of 190 suburban services across various destinations, including Canning, Lakshmikantapur, Budge Budge, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Naihati, Diamond Harbour and Barasat-Hasnabad. Services restarted as scheduled, with the first train from Sealdah South Section’s platform 15 departing for Sonarpur at 10 am. Subsequent trains operated on routes including Budge Budge, Hasnabad, Canning, Diamond Harbour, Namkhana, Lakshmikantapur and Baruipur. Similarly, the Howrah Division saw the cancellation of 68 trains starting from 3:45 am on October 25, affecting destinations such as Burdwan, Bandel, Katwa, Arambagh, Singur, Tarakeswar and Srirampur. Normal train services in Howrah Division have also resumed.

Although services have resumed, the number of commuters was notably low. Initially, both stations were nearly empty, but the passenger count gradually rose as services normalised throughout the day.

Both the Sealdah and Howrah Divisions had taken several precautionary measures to ensure passenger safety and smooth train operations.