As a Durga Puja gift to daily commuters in Kolkata suburban area, Eastern Railway is introducing two more air-conditioned EMU (electric multiple unit) trains in the Sealdah division ahead of Bengal’s biggest festival Durga Puja. AC Local trains will ply in the Sealdah-Bongaon and Sealdah-Krishnanagar City Junction routes. This is will play a key role in managing the Durga Puja pandal hoppers crowd to Kolkata from suburban areas.
Eastern Railway plans to introduce AC Local trains in other suburban routes in the coming days.
Sealdah Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajiv Saxena held a press conference to announce the update and share details with the media on Monday. It was announced that the AC local train, which will run on the Sealdah-Bongaon route, from Bongaon, the train will again go to Ranaghat. After departing from Sealdah, this train will first stop at Bidhannagar and Dumdum stations. Then it will stop at Dumdum Cantonment, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Dattapukur, Habra, Gobardanga, Thakurnagar stations.
The train on the Sealdah-Krishnanagar route will start from Sealdah station and stop at Bidhannagar, Dumdum stations. Then it will stop at Belgharia, Sodepur, Khardah, Barakpur, Shyamnagar, Naihati, Kanchrapara, Kalyani, Chakdah, Ranaghat stations. Two new AC rakes are being brought from Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai.
AC Local train running on Ranaghat-Sealdah route
AC local trains are already running on the Ranaghat-Sealdah route of the Eastern Railway for over a month now and the response has been pretty good. The 12-coach rake, built at the Integral Coach Factory near Chennai, has a seating capacity of more than 1,100. Each coach features four automatic, electrically operated sliding doors on both sides. Each coach is equipped with four CCTV cameras. The two rear coaches are reserved for women. A GPS-enabled passenger information system offers real-time updates. The train stops at Bidhannagar Road, Dum Dum Junction, Sodepur, Khardah, Barrackpore, Naihati , Kanchrapara, Kalyani and Chakdah. A one-way fare ranges between Rs 35 and Rs 120.
AC Local Train a support for Durga Puja suburban crowd management
The biggest festival of Bengalis, Durga Puja will be celebrated in the last week of September. On the occasion of Durga Puja, people from suburban areas rush to Kolkata to check out famous pandals and Durga idols, due to which local trains experience massive rush during the day as well as at night. With two new AC locals being introduced, it will be a relief for Durga Puja Pandal hoppers during the festive rush.
AC Local train fare in new routes
The fare for the Sealdah to Bongaon AC local has been fixed from Sealdah to Dum Dum Cantonment at Rs 35, while fare till Madhyamgram and Barasat stations will be Rs 60, till Dattapukur station Rs 85, till Habra Rs 90, and till Gobardanga and Thakurnagar stations Rs 105. The fare for the AC local from Sealdah to Bangaon will be Rs 120.
Sealdah to Bongaon AC local fare:
Sealdah to Dum Dum Cantonment – Rs 35
Sealdah to Madhyamgram – Rs 60
Sealdah to Barasat – Rs 60
Sealdah to Dattapukur – Rs 85
Sealdah to Habra – Rs 90
Sealdah to Gobardanga – Rs 105
Sealdah to Thakurnagar – Rs 105
Sealdah to Bongaon – Rs 120
The fare list for the Sealdah-Krishnanagar AC local station has also been fixed. The fare per passenger for the AC local from Sealdah to Belgharia will be Rs 40. Fare from Sealdah to Sodepur, Khardah, Barrackpore will be Rs 60. Fare till Shyamnagar will be Rs 85, till Naihati Rs 90, till Kanchrapara and Kalyani Rs 95, till Chakdah Rs 105 and till Ranaghat Rs 120. The fare from Sealdah to Krishnanagar City Junction will be Rs 140.
Sealdah to Krishnanagar City AC local fare:
Sealdah to Belgharia – Rs 40
Sealdah to Sodepur – Rs 60
Sealdah to Khardah – Rs 60
Sealdah to Barrackpore – Rs 60
Sealdah to Shyamnagar – Rs 85
Sealdah to Naihati – Rs 90
Sealdah to Kanchrapara – Rs 95
Sealdah to Kalyani – Rs 95
Sealdah to Chakdah – Rs 105
Sealdah to Ranaghat – Rs 120
Sealdah to Krishnanagar City Junction – Rs 140