Red carpets, special trains & Chhath tunes: Bengal railways prepare for festive rush

With a large number of passengers expected to travel for Chhath Puja, the Eastern and South Eastern Railways have put in place additional trains and crowd management measures across West Bengal. The arrangements include converting a section of Howrah station into a passenger holding area, adding coaches to existing trains and playing Chhath devotional songs at Kolkata station.

In an advisory issued on November 11, Eastern Railway announced the closure of the cabway between platforms 8 and 9 in the old complex of Howrah station to vehicular traffic from November 11 to 14.

The area has been converted into a designated passenger holding zone, with a red carpet laid along the stretch and multicoloured fabric installed between the roofs of adjoining platform sheds. Assistance centres have also been set up, and security arrangements strengthened.

In a post on X, Eastern Railway said the arrangement was intended to provide a “comfortable and organised waiting experience for Chhath-bound passengers”.

During the closure, passengers can access the platforms only through Pedestrian Entry Gate No. 2.

Special trains across Bengal

Eastern Railways has scheduled special trains to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to meet the festive rush. On November 11, 15 special trains were scheduled, 12 of which either originated from or terminated at stations in the state, including Howrah, Sealdah, Kolkata, Shalimar, Asansol, and Durgapur.

For November 12, 30 special trains were scheduled, 22 of which were to run through the state. On November 13, 21 of the 27 scheduled trains will pass through Bengal. Of the 24 trains scheduled for November 14, 17 were to run through the state. On November 15, 14 of the 17 trains will have stoppages in Bengal, while eight of the 11 trains scheduled for November 16 will run through the state.

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In a statement, South Eastern Railway said it would operate 35 pairs of special trains, making 407 trips between Diwali and Chhath Puja. It has also added around 33 coaches to various trains to increase passenger capacity.

Chhath songs at Kolkata station draw mixed reactions

Chhath devotional songs were played at Kolkata station, according to a post on the official Facebook page of the Sealdah Division. The post said the initiative was intended to fill the station premises with the “spirit of devotion and celebration”.

The move drew mixed reactions on social media. While some welcomed the initiative, others questioned whether similar arrangements had been made during festivals such as Kali Puja, Durga Puja, Eid and Christmas.

On November 10, Eastern Railway General Manager Gitika Pandey, the Divisional Railway Managers of Howrah and Sealdah, senior railway officials and Members of Parliament attended a divisional committee meeting in Kolkata. Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said additional trains for Chhath Puja were among the issues discussed.

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(Sharanyo Basu is an intern with the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)