Kolkata Puja special trains will operate on the Sealdah main line and connected routes from October 17 to 21 to manage the seasonal increase in passengers travelling between the city, its suburbs and festival venues, according to the railway timetable reported by Sangbad Pratidin.
The additional services will cover the Krishnanagar, Ranaghat and Kalyani sections. A special train will leave Sealdah for Krishnanagar City and Ranaghat at 5.55 pm during the five-day period. A special service from Krishnanagar City to Sealdah will depart at 8 pm, while a train from Ranaghat to Sealdah will leave at 8.08 pm.
The extra services have been scheduled as pandal-hopping has expanded beyond north and south Kolkata to suburban areas. The passenger movement is not limited to visitors travelling from smaller towns into Kolkata; residents of the city also travel to suburban puja venues, increasing pressure on local trains along the main line.
A special train from Sealdah to Kalyani will leave at 7.20 pm, followed by a Kalyani-Sealdah service at 8.55 pm. The timetable also includes additional night services linking Naihati, Krishnanagar and Kalyani. A train will leave Ranaghat for Krishnanagar at 11.45 pm, while a Krishnanagar-Naihati service will depart at 12.35 am. A Naihati-Krishnanagar train is scheduled for 2 am.
Night services will also operate on the Sealdah-Ranaghat and Kalyani-Sealdah routes. The additional trains are intended to provide more options for passengers returning after late-evening visits to puja venues and to reduce pressure on regular services during the festival period.
Railway authorities have also planned an experimental special EMU local between Krishnanagar and Shantipur. The trial service will operate from October 13 to December 31. A Shantipur-Krishnanagar special local is scheduled to leave at 9.34 am. Timings for two regular local trains on the Krishnanagar-Shantipur and Shantipur-Ranaghat routes have also been changed.
The timetable places the festival response within the wider challenge of managing short-duration, high-volume travel on suburban railways. Unlike routine commuting, puja travel extends into late evening and connects multiple suburban destinations, making the availability of return services a key part of passenger movement. The railway’s next operational milestone is the running of the scheduled special services between October 17 and 21, alongside the longer experimental EMU operation between Krishnanagar and Shantipur.
