Railway Board sanctions Rs 396.04 cr for doubling of Ranaghat–Bangaon section

Kolkata: The Railway Board has sanctioned Rs 396.04 crore for doubling the Ranaghat–Bangaon section under Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division, linking the districts of Nadia and North 24 Parganas.

The 32.93-kilometre project aims to decongest the existing single-line section and enable faster movement of both freight and passengers.

The Ranaghat–Bangaon line, currently operating at 114 per cent of its capacity, connects stations including Cooper’s Halt, Naba Raynagar Halt, Gangnapur, Majhergram, Akaipur Halt, Gopalnagar and Satberia. Officials said the doubling will remove delays caused by trains waiting for crossings on the single line

and ensure smoother, faster operations.

The work will cover nine stations and include two limited-height subways — one between Ranaghat and

Majhergram, and another between Majhergram and Gopalnagar.

Once complete, the line is expected to accommodate about 10 additional passenger trains daily in each

direction and handle an extra 0.88 million tonnes of freight annually, generating nearly Rs 8.66 crore in additional revenue.

Ranaghat Junction lies on the Sealdah–Krishnanagar–Lalgola main line, while Bangaon Junction is on the Sealdah/Kolkata–Dum Dum–Bangaon–Petrapole route near the Bangladesh border.

Railway officials said the doubling will address the rising demand for

faster logistics and passenger services driven by population growth.

Recently introduced AC EMU local train services between Ranaghat and Sealdah via Bangaon have already enhanced passenger connectivity in the region.

The doubling of the section is expected to further strengthen the

Railways’ efforts to improve services and support the socio-economic development of the area.