Sealdah Div announces spl arrangements for Durga Puja crowd mgmt

Kolkata: The Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway has finalised measures to manage the anticipated surge of commuters during the Durga Puja festival, following a high-level meeting on Monday at the DRM conference room in Sealdah to review passenger flow, station facilities and safety arrangements.

All galloping trains in the division will stop at every station from September 28 to October 2, with punctuality closely monitored. Special night service trains will operate frequently between Sealdah–Kalyani and Ballygunge–Sonarpur, and extra EMU rakes will be stabled at strategic locations to handle emergencies.

10 additional mobile UTS machines will be available at Sealdah station, all 17 ATVMs will remain operational with a service engineer on duty round-the-clock and all 21 ticket booking counters will function 24x7 with temporary staff deployed to handle the extra rush.

The Prafulla Dwar entrance at Platform 1 will open before Durga Puja to facilitate the movement of pandal hoppers, with ticket counters, ATVMs and mobile UTS units. Commuters using this gate can board trains heading towards Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, Barrackpore and other main line stations.

Car parking space at Sealdah will be closed from September 28 to October 2 to serve as a crowd-holding area if needed, while trolley movements will be restricted from 5 pm to 7 am. Dedicated drop-off points for Mail and Express passengers will operate at platforms 9 and 11–14, and construction materials will be cleared from all stations in advance.

Special RPF forces, assisted by volunteers and local authorities, will be deployed at busy level crossings including Barasat, Khardah, Ballygunge, Barrackpore, Bangaon, Sonarpur, Baruipur, Ranaghat and Berhampore. “May I Help You” booths will be set up at key stations with emergency contacts for police, hospitals and fire services. Passenger announcement systems will be closely monitored, potable water will be available round-the-clock and fire safety equipment will be ensured at all stations.