Two new AC locals for Sealdah commuters from September 5

Kolkata: Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division will introduce two new air-conditioned local train services from September 5 on the Sealdah–Krishnanagar and Sealdah–Ranaghat via Bangaon routes. Both services will run six days a week, excluding Sundays.

The Ranaghat–Bangaon–Sealdah AC local will leave Ranaghat at 7.11 am, halt at Bangaon at 7.52 am, and reach Sealdah at 9.37 am. The return service will start from Sealdah at 6.14 pm, halt at Bangaon at 8.04 pm, and terminate at Ranaghat at 8.41 pm. Passengers bound for Kolkata airport will be able to alight at Dum Dum Cantonment and take the metro’s Yellow Line for onward travel.

The Sealdah–Krishnanagar AC local will depart Sealdah at 9.48 am and arrive at Krishnanagar at 12.07 pm. On its return, it will leave Krishnanagar at 1.30 pm and reach Sealdah at 3.40 pm. Officials said the service would particularly benefit devotees and tourists travelling to Mayapur, home to the ISKCON temple.

Fares for the Ranaghat–Bangaon–Sealdah service will start at Rs. 35 for short trips up to Dum Dum Junction and Bidhannagar Road, rising to Rs. 120 for Bangaon and Rs. 150 for Ranaghat. On the Sealdah–Krishnanagar route, fares will range from Rs. 35 to Rs. 140 for the full journey.

The decision to expand AC suburban services comes after the successful launch of the Sealdah–Ranaghat AC local on August 11. Railway officials said the train had witnessed strong demand, with occupancy levels reaching 160 percent on some days.

“Unlike Mumbai, Kolkata’s non-AC suburban trains do not have a first-class option. We were initially sceptical about the demand for AC services, but the strong response to the first train has shown that passengers here are willing to pay more for better travel conditions,” Sealdah’s divisional railway manager Rajeev Saxena said.