New EMU local from Bidhannagar to ease passenger rush
The Statesman | 20 September 2025With the swelling crowd during the pre-Puja period, the new local train is to be introduced on 22 September. To handle the huge rush of passengers, the divisional railway authorities have strategically identified the route of the new train planning to connect Bidhannagar with Kalyani, which is one of the busiest sections of Sealdah Division.
Notably, Bidhannagar is an immensely important station of the Sealdah Division due to its strategic location and extensive connectivity. It also becomes crucial in the suburban mobility system for its proximity with Salt Lake, Sealdah, Kankurgachi, Sector V, Rajarhat New Town and so on. Apart from this, it also serves as a crucial connector between North and South sections. Bidhannagar station plays a pivotal role in dealing passenger rush particularly during peak hours. According to the information received from the divisional railway, on normal days, Bidhannagar Road station has a massive footfall of about 1.7 lakh. Out of this, the footfall reaches more than 1 lakh during morning and evening peak hours only, causing huge overcrowding.
The new local train, numbered as 31343, is to be run at 7.27 p.m. in the Up direction from Bidhannagar Road to Kalyani. The train would reach Kalyani station at 8.36 p.m. with stoppages at all stations en-route. In the return direction, the EMU train, 31340 down Kalyani-Sealdah Local, will start from Kalyani at 8.55 p.m. and arrive Sealdah at 10.19 p.m. As learnt from the divisional railway office, the new services would be run from Monday to Saturday.
Meanwhile, to handle the situation, the divisional railway authorities have planned a host of measures to decongest Bidhannagar station. In addition to introducing more local EMUs, the authorities have planned to make the station a vendor-free zone to enable unhindered passenger flow and smoother movement across the station premises.
