Spl trains, platform Segregation as Sealdah div gears up for Gangasagar Mela

Kolkata: Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division has finalised an expanded train operations and crowd management blueprint for the Gangasagar Mela 2026, scheduled from January 10 to 16, with the focus on handling a massive surge of pilgrims through additional suburban services, segregated platforms and tightly regulated boarding systems.

Divisional Railway Manager Rajeev Saxena said 18 additional EMU suburban services will operate daily during the mela period—eight down and 10 up—between Sealdah, Kakdwip and Namkhana. This will take the total number of special EMU services to 126 over seven days.. Saxena said the Railway had planned the maximum feasible number of services despite capacity limitations on the single-line section between Lakshmikantapur and Namkhana. “We have optimised operations keeping safety and line capacity in mind,” he said.

At Sealdah, Platforms 15 and 16 have been earmarked exclusively for Gangasagar-bound trains. Platform 16 will be permanently barricaded from Platform 17 to prevent spillover, while the island platform will function as a controlled corridor, ensuring pilgrims do not mix with regular suburban commuters. Separate systems have been put in place for boarding and alighting, with arriving trains allowing passengers to disembark from both sides.

At Kakdwip, arriving trains from Sealdah will use Platform 1 exclusively for alighting, while trains returning towards Sealdah will depart from Platform 2. To prevent overcrowding, boarding will be strictly regulated. “Arriving and departing passengers will not be mixed, and no train will exceed its permitted capacity. Pilgrims may have to wait for up to two hours, as trains will be handled one at a time,” Saxena said, urging passengers to remain patient. Dedicated holding areas with seating, lighting, toilets and ticketing facilities have been set up at Sealdah, Kakdwip and Namkhana. Passengers will be released to platforms strictly according to train capacity, while others will wait in holding zones. At Sealdah, pilgrims arriving from other platforms will have to exit and re-enter through a designated single entry point near the Sealdah South Metro gate.

Announcements in Bengali, Hindi and English, enhanced signage and temporary train information boards will guide passengers. Security has also been strengthened, with doubled RPF deployment, CCTV surveillance, dog squads, night escorts, standby EMU rakes, medical teams and ambulances operating round the clock.