Sealdah division will run 38 overnight local trains during Durga Puja to help late-night pandal-hoppers and manage the festival travel surge across its main, north and south sections, railway officials announced on Wednesday. The division is also planning additional suburban and long-distance services, along with measures intended to speed up ticketing and passenger movement.
At least 50 lakh passengers travelled through Sealdah during Durga Puja last year, according to railway officials. Daily footfall reached 21 lakh on Saptami, making the festival period one of the most demanding operating windows for the division’s suburban network.
Rajeev Saxena, the Sealdah divisional railway manager, announced the measures at a news conference. The overnight local services are intended to support passengers returning late from pandal visits, when demand remains high beyond the division’s regular daytime and evening travel peaks.
The additional trains will cover Sealdah’s main, north and south sections. The railway division has not, in the supplied announcement, provided the individual train timings, station-wise schedules or the total number of additional suburban and long-distance services planned under the festival arrangement.
The scale of last year’s passenger movement indicates the operational pressure created by Durga Puja travel. A daily footfall of 21 lakh on Saptami requires the railway system to manage not only train frequency but also ticketing queues, station circulation and the movement of large crowds through suburban interchanges.
The Sealdah division’s announcement therefore combines service expansion with crowd-management measures. Further operational details, including the timetable for the 38 overnight locals and information on the additional services, are expected to determine how passengers can use the arrangements during the festival.
