Passengers angry over 9-coach local trains still running in Sealdah Division

Kolkata: Despite completion of platform extension work at Sealdah Station, passengers on Monday complained that few local trains have not been changed from nine to 12 coaches. The Eastern Railway authorities assured that 99 per cent of the trains in the section have 12 coaches and the remaining one per cent will also be upgraded soon.

Ahead of the targeted schedule, Sealdah Division had completed the platform extension work on all five platforms enabling movement of 12 coach EMU trains on Sealdah Main Branch. Target was to start the service of these trains by July. Sealdah Division operates approximately 892 local trains daily, but the short length of Sealdah suburban platforms had previously caused difficulties in running all 12-coach trains on the Sealdah Main and North section. This problem was resolved, making it possible to run more 12-coach local trains on the Sealdah Main Line. The 12-coach locals can carry about 1,000 additional passengers per trip compared to nine-coach trains.

This will partially meet the increasing transportation demands of densely populated areas like Bidhannagar, Dum Dum, Birati, Barasat, Sodepur, Barrackpore and Naihati, amongst others on the Sealdah Main and North lines. The number of seats in 12-coach trains is 25 per cent more than in nine-coach trains. The Railway officials are hopeful that these services will reduce overcrowding, making travel more comfortable for suburban passengers.

“Eastern Railway is committed to provide reliable and passenger-centric rail services and the introduction of 12-coach trains at platforms to travel conveniently and safely,” Easter Railway Public Relations spokesperson Kaushik Mitra said.

From midnight of June 7 to noon of June 9, Sealdah Division had to regulate train movements due to infrastructural work at Sealdah Railway station. Non-interlocking work was conducted. During this period, 147 services out of 806 were short terminated and short originated. Since the commencement of platform work, passengers shared their woes of overcrowding and inconvenience.