Sealdah chord line to face 23-hr block for bridge upgrade

Kolkata, January 23: Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division will undertake a 23-hour traffic and power block this weekend for bridge upgradation work on the chord lines between Kankurgachi and Ballygunge, officials said.

The block will be in force from 10 pm on Saturday to 9 pm on Sunday for the launching of new girders at Bridge No. X-25. Railway officials said the existing girders have completed their service life and are being replaced as part of a planned safety exercise to strengthen the structure and facilitate faster train operations.

The work will be carried out on both the Up and Down chord lines. Officials said the block was scheduled over the weekend to minimise passenger inconvenience, as Sunday is a public holiday.

Commuters travelling between Sealdah North and Sealdah South have been advised to interchange services at Sealdah station during the block period.

As a result, suburban services will be regulated on January 25, with several trains cancelled, diverted or short-terminated. Around 15 services will remain cancelled on Sunday on routes including Budge Budge–Naihati, Naihati–Sealdah, Madhyamgram–Majerhat, Canning–Barasat, Naihati–Majerhat, Majerhat–Ranaghat, Majerhat–Hasnabad, Hasnabad–Majerhat and Budge Budge–Sealdah.

Several services will also be diverted and short-terminated. Trains on routes such as Naihati–Budge Budge, Budge Budge–Naihati, Kalyani Simanta–Budge Budge and Barrackpore–Ballygunge will be short-terminated at either Sealdah North or Sealdah South. Services including Bangaon–Majerhat, Majerhat–Hasnabad, Bangaon–Canning and Gede–Majerhat locals will be short-terminated at Barasat or Dum Dum Junction. In addition, a Ballygunge–Ghutiari Sharif local will depart from Majerhat at 7.30 pm, stopping at all stations up to Ballygunge.

Separately, Eastern Railway has announced regulations in Circular Railway services between January 24 and January 26, for the immersion of Saraswati idols, following a request from the state administration. During this period, several Circular Railway EMU services will be short-terminated, short-originated, diverted or cancelled.