Sealdah Div to earmark platforms at Bidhannagar Road, Dum Dum Junction

Kolkata: The Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division has introduced new crowd management measures at two of its busiest suburban stations — Bidhannagar Road and Dum Dum Junction — including dedicated platforms for specific routes.

At Bidhannagar Road, which handles nearly 1.7 lakh passengers daily, a structured platform segregation system will be implemented.

Platform No. 1 will serve all Up main line locals from Sealdah towards Naihati, Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, Gede, and Lalgola, while Platform No. 2 will manage trains arriving from Majerhat and Ballygunge, Up suburban services to Barasat, Bangaon, Hasnabad, and Dankuni, and all Mail, Express, and Passenger trains passing through. To ease congestion, stoppages of eight Mail and Express trains — including the Gour Express, Uttarbanga Express, Gangasagar Express, and Kanchankanya Express — may be withdrawn due to low passenger numbers. Platform No. 2 will also be declared a vendor-free zone.

At Dum Dum Junction, Platform No. 1 will handle Up main line locals towards Naihati, Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, and Lalgola, while Platform No. 2 will serve Down trains to Sealdah. Platforms 3 to 5 will manage suburban services to and from Barasat, Bangaon, Hasnabad, Dankuni, and trains arriving from Majerhat and Ballygunge.

Divisional Railway Manager Rajeev Saxena said trial runs for the revised arrangements have begun, with final implementation subject to operational feasibility. Ahead of Kali Puja, Diwali, and Chhath, four pairs of night EMU specials will run on October 20–21.