Rough ride for commuters as Sealdah platform extn work disrupts train ops
Times of India | 8 June 2024
Kolkata: Passengers had a harrowing time on Friday as train services in the Sealdah North suburban section were disrupted to facilitate extension of five platforms in one of India’s busiest railway stations.
Commuters, especially those on their way to their workplaces in the morning and their way back home in the evening, were seen thronging the station area, trying to find out when their trains would come.Nearly 90 trains, most of which ran in the Sealdah North and Main sections (between Sealdah and suburban stations like Naihati, Ranaghat, Hasnabad, Bongaon and Krishnanagar) were cancelled. The gap between services of those plying to and from several destinations was increased. This left commuters harried and exasperated.
When TOI visited the station late in the afternoon, hundreds were waiting on the platforms. Some were seen running from one platform to another, confused as they were, about the train timings and the platform they would pull in at. “Some local trains are being slotted at platforms allocated for express trains,” said Binay Saha, a daily commuter, breathing heavily.
Tanmoy Das, who was on his way home to Behrampore, said: “I am waiting for two hours but my scheduled train has not arrived yet. It is unnecessary harassment for passengers because waiting for such a long time in this humid climate is a hellish experience.”
Daily passenger Kakoli Das, who stays in Duttapukur, said that she left her house well in advance, well aware of the train disruption that would start from Friday and continue till Sunday.
“The early morning train was abnormally crowded. People were hanging at the gates, risking their lives. Having faced this problem in the morning, I left the office early, but in vain. I am waiting for over an hour for my train,” said Das.
Calcutta University student Indrayudh Mukherjee, who lives in Habra in North 24 Parganas, said: “This is ridiculous.s It’s been nearly two hours and still there is no sign of a train.”
Another daily passenger Anita Mondal said she was not sure when she will reach her Madhyamgram home. “Has any alternative transportation been arranged to mitigate passenger problems and harassment?” she wondered.
According to Eastern Railway officials, 147 out of a total 806 local trains that were now running have been short-terminated and short-originated because of the ongoing platform extension work, mostly at Dum Dum junction instead of Sealdah. Four pairs of mail express trains from Sealdah-Ajmer Express, Hateybazare Express, Sealdah-Balurghat Express and Sealdah-Asansol Express will originate or terminate at Kolkata station instead of Sealdah.