Sealdah station gets new access gates for better crowd mgmt
Times of India | 24 March 2025
12 Kolkata: To reduce congestion at the existing entry/exit gate, Sealdah station is now equipped with another entry/exit gate at Sealdah South station. The new gate is strategically positioned to minimise walking distance for passengers accessing Sealdah station, one of Asia's busiest transportation hubs, which houses the city's most congested railway station along with a highly utilised East-West Metro station.
The augmentation of the new entry/exit gate at Sealdah will facilitate efficient crowd management, particularly during peak hours and the festive season, thereby mitigating the risk of stampede-like situations, an Eastern Railway official said. "Moreover, it will strengthen Sealdah station authority's capability for swift passenger evacuation during emergencies. Additionally, the new gate enhances security measures by providing supplementary surveillance points and improved monitoring," an ER official said.
The new entry gate via West Canal Road will enable efficient crowd dispersal. Passengers arriving from Beleghata Road, Shyambazar, or Salt Lake can now access Sealdah station directly from West Canal Road, circumventing the congested APC Road.
The newly constructed entry/exit gate, as part of Sealdah station's redevelopment and upgradation project under the Amrit Bharat scheme, will serve 15-18 lakh passengers at Sealdah station daily. "The construction work was completed by Sealdah Division rather expeditiously under Deepak Nigam, DRM/Sealdah. Nigam said, "The newly established entry/exit gate will certainly improve overall accessibility, and this state-of-the-art passenger amenity at Sealdah station will, in turn, stimulate local economic growth."