| Kolkata Suburban Railway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 Local train atB.B.D. Bag railway station heading towardsMajerhat. | |||
 AnAlstom propulsion fitted ER 3-phase EMU | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | কলকাতা শহরতলি রেল | ||
| Owner | Indian Railways | ||
| Area served | |||
| Locale | Kolkata Metropolitan Region,West Bengal, India | ||
| Transit type | Suburban andRegional rail | ||
| Number of lines |
| ||
| Number of stations |
| ||
| Daily ridership | 3.5 million (2017–18) | ||
| Annual ridership | 1.2 billion | ||
| Chief executive | |||
| Headquarters | |||
| Website | Indian Railways Eastern Railway South Eastern Railway | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1854; 171 years ago (1854) | ||
| Operator(s) | |||
| Rolling stock | ICF, Jessop ,BHEL,MEDHA,BEML,Alstom | ||
| Number of vehicles | 200+ | ||
| Train length | 9 or 12 coaches | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 1,501 km (933 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)Broad-gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz ACoverhead catenary | ||
| Average speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) | ||
| Top speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) | ||
| |||
TheKolkata Suburban Railway (colloquially calledKolkata local trains or simplylocals) is asuburban andregional rail system serving theKolkata metropolitan area and its surroundings inWest Bengal,India. Its network has 458 stations and a track length of 1,501 km (933 mi) making it thelargest suburban railway network in the country, and also one of thelargest in the world. There are five main lines and 19 branch lines. It operates more than 1,500 services, carrying 3.5 million people daily and 1.2 billion people annually. It runs fromIST 03:00 am until 02:00 am approximately and fares range from Rs.5 to Rs.120. The system iselectrified with25 kV 50 Hz ACoverhead line and runs on5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm)broad gauge track. It has interchange stations with theKolkata Metro at various locations.
The Kolkata Suburban Railway is part of the second passenger railway constructed inBritish India during the mid 19th century. The first train ran betweenHowrah andHooghly stations. A hundred years after the initial run,EMU services began.
The system is operated by twoIndian Railways zones;Eastern andSouth Eastern. These zones are further divided intoHowrah andSealdah railway divisions in Eastern Railways andKharagpur in South Eastern Railway.Howrah,Sealdah andKolkata railway station are the three major terminals serving the network in the city.Shalimar andSantragachi Junction are also two major termini stations for mail/express trains as well as passenger/fast passenger trains.
The Kolkata Suburban Railway is an offshoot of the second passenger railway to be built by the British in India.[1] The first train ran betweenHowrah andHooghly stations on 15 August 1854 and was operated by theEast Indian Railway (EIR). Regular services on the 38.6 km (24.0 mi) line were introduced on the same day, with stops atBally,Serampore andChandannagore stations.[2] The broad gauge Sheoraphuli–Tarakeswar branch line was opened by the Tarkessur Railway Company on 1 January 1885.
In 1951, all the railway companies, zone and divisions were integrated and recategorized. This led to the formation of the Eastern Railway (ER) and South Eastern Railway (SER) zones. These zones of Indian Railways currently operate the Kolkata Suburban Railway.[3]
The Eastern Railway zone was formed on 14 April, 1952, by the amalgamation of the East Indian Railway Company and the entireBengal – Nagpur Railway (later it formed the SER). It has four divisions; Howrah and Sealdah divisions operate the system. The Sealdah division was part of theEastern Bengal Railway before the recategorisation.[4][5] Howrah division is the oldest in the ER zone.[6]
On 1 February, 1957, the EMU services were introduced on the Howrah – Seoraphuli section of the Howrah division. Howrah–Sheoraphuli–Tarakeswar line was electrified in 1957–58. In 1963, services were gradually extended to Bandel and then Barddhaman and in 1964 on the Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway were introduced on the Sealdah – Ranaghat route.[7][8] In 1968, the Howrah – Barddhaman main and chord line was totally converted to25 kV 50 Hz AC power supply from a 3000 V DC power supply, whereas the Sealdah – Ranaghat line was electrified as 25 kV 50 Hz AC from the beginning.[9][10]
The Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) Company was incorporated in 1887 to take over from theNagpur Chhattisgarh Railway (NCR) and to convert the line to broad gauge. The work was completed in 1888. The extension of the main line fromNagpur toAsansol was completed by 1891. Later, it formed the Eastern Railway zone. On 1 August, 1955, the former Bengal Nagpur Railway portion was separated and a new zone, the South Eastern Railway (SER), came into existence.[11] The SER comprises four divisions, and Kharagpur is the only division to operate the suburban railway.[3]
In the SER zone, EMU service made its maiden run on 1 May, 1968 between Howrah –Mecheda of theKharagpur division, and on 1 February, 1969, EMU services were extended to Kharagpur. Gradually the services were extended to eight other lines by 2003.[8][12] The system under this zone was completely electrified by 1968 as 25 kV 50 Hz AC from the beginning.[9][10]
Kolkata is the smallest of India's sixA-1 cities in terms of area.[13] However, the Kolkata Suburban Railway is the largest suburban railway network in India by track length and number of stations.[14] The overall track length is 1,501 km (933 mi) and has 458 stations.[15] The system is operated by two zonal divisions (underIndian Railways),Eastern Railways (ER) andSouth Eastern Railways (SER). The fastcommuter rail corridors on Eastern Railway as well as South Eastern Railway are shared with long-distance and freight trains, while inner suburban services operate on exclusive parallel tracks. SER operates the South Eastern Line and ER operates the Eastern Line, Circular Line, Chord link Line as well as the Sealdah South lines.[16][17][18][19][20][21]
Junction stations are marked in bold
The South Eastern line in Kolkata consists of three major corridors, which divide into two branches as they run into the suburban satellite towns. Two corridors—one local and the other through—follow the South Eastern Railway and run from Howrah Junction to Midnapore, a distance of 128 km (80 mi). The mainline bifurcates (splits) into two branch lines—the Panskura–Haldia line atPanskura Junction 69 km (43 mi) to the south-east—and theSantragachi–Amta line atSantragachi Junction 45 km (28 mi) to the north. These corridors constitute the 'main' South Eastern line. In this section, the Howrah – Santragachi section has quadruple line, where first track is mainly for up train shunting up-to Santragachhi along with some suburban trains, second track is for both up suburban and express trains, third track is mainly for down train shunting from Santragachhi along with some suburban and express trains, and the fourth and final track is for both down suburban and express trains. From Santragachhi to Kharagpur has triple line, where one track for up trains, another track for both up and down trains, and final track for down trains. All tracks are used by both suburban and express trains.The South Eastern line also includes two branch lines, 5 km (3.1 mi) and 94 km (58 mi), connecting Santragachi with Shalimar andTamluk toDigha, respectively.[20] The Midnapore and Haldia branches are double line, whereas Amta and Digha branches are single line.
The South Eastern line has one interchange station with the Eastern Line at Howrah Junction. Rolling stock consists of a fleet of AC EMUs. The major car sheds on this line are atKharagpur,Tikiapara, andPanskura.[22][23]
On 6 September 2009, thenRailway Minister,Mamata Banerjee announced the introduction of Ladies Special local trains, namelyMatribhumi (i.e. motherland), in the Kolkata suburban section. The first local Matribhumi Special local ran from Howrah to Kharagpur.[24][25]
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The Eastern line in Kolkata, the largest network of the Kolkata Suburban Railway, consists of two divisions—Howrah and Sealdah divisions (named after their respective terminals)—which serve both sides of theHooghly River.
In the Howrah division of the Eastern line, there are five corridors, which also bifurcates and runs into the northwestern suburbs. The first two corridors are the 107 km (66 mi)Howrah–Bardhaman main line and the 94 km (58 mi)chord line. In this section, the Howrah – Bally section has quintuple line, where first and second tracks are for up and down trains for chord line, third track for up trains, fourth track for both up and down trains, and final track for down trains. From Bally to Shaktigarh has triple line, where one track for up trains, another track for both up and down train, and the third and final track for down trains. On Chord line, from Bally to Dankuni has triple line, where one track for up trains, another track for both up and down trains, and final track for down trains. From Dankuni to Shaktigarh has quadruple line up-to Chandanpur, and the rest of the portion is triple line where the fourth track is under construction. All tracks are used by both suburban and express trains. On these two corridors, the small Belur Math branch splits at Liluah, however unlike down trains, up trains of this branch does not touch Liluah station. On these two corridors, the Howrah–Tarakeswar branch line bifurcates atSeoraphuli Junction and terminates at Tarakeswar with a length of 39 km (24 mi) crossing over the chord line atKamarkundu. Kamarkundu now this line has been extended to Bishnupur from Tarakeswar, under Tarakeswar - Bishnupur rail project. However through running from Tarakeshwar to Bishnupur is still not possible for a long gap between Goghat and Maynapur due to some land acquisition problem. After the gap, the line is running between Maynapur to Bishnupur, but due to not possibility of supplying Eastern Railway EMU rakes, that section is presently served by only one MEMU rake of South Eastern Railway. The Bandel–Katwa line bifurcates at Bandel Jn with a length of 105 km (65 mi); the Bardhaman–Katwa branch line, which was originally a narrow gauge line and later converted to broad gauge, bifurcates at Bardhaman Jn with a length of 53 km (33 mi).[19] The Bandel - Katwa and Tarakeshwar branches are double line, whereas Belur Math, Barddhaman - Katwa and Goghat (with the isolated Bishnupur) branches are single line.
On the other side of the river, the Sealdah division of the Eastern line has seven corridors, splitting into branch lines to serve the northeastern suburbs. The Sealdah–Gede line, considered to be mainline, terminates inGede, a small town on theIndia–Bangladesh Border with a length of 116 km (72 mi). In this section, the Sealdah – Naihati section has quadruple line, where first and second tracks are exclusively for up and down suburban trains, whereas third and fourth tracks are for both up and down suburban and express trains. From Naihati to Kalyani has triple line, where first and second tracks are exclusively for up and down suburban trains, and final track is for both up and down suburban and express trains. Rest of this section is double line. On this corridor, the first branch line bifurcates fromDum Dum Junction terminating at Bangaon Junction with a length of 70 km (43 mi). The second branch line bifurcates atRanaghat Junction terminating atBangaon Junction with a length of 33 km (21 mi). The third branch line bifurcates at Ranaghat Junction terminating atKrishnanagar City Junction passing throughKalinarayanpur Junction andShantipur with a length of 35 km (22 mi) or by bypassing Shantipur, passing only through Kalinarayanpur with a length of 26 km (16 mi). And also there is an extension of the third branch line which starts fromKrishnanagar City Junction toLalgola with a line length of 127 km (79 mi). The fourth branch line bifurcates atKalyani Junction terminating atKalyani Simanta with a line length of 5 km (3.1 mi). The fifth branch line bifurcates at Dumdum Junction and terminating at Bangaon Junction, another small town on theIndia–Bangladesh Border with a length of 69 km (73 mi). In this branch, another branch line splits fromBarasat Junction terminating atHasnabad with a line length of 53 km (33 mi). The Eastern line also includes a connection fromBandel Junction toNaihati Junction with a length of 8 km (5.0 mi) which is an important link between the Howrah and Sealdah divisions.[18]
The major car sheds (depots) on this line are at Bamangachhi (Howrah) and Bandel on the Howrah division and at Narkeldanga (Sealdah), Barasat and Ranaghat in the Sealdah division.[26]
The first Matribhumi local of Sealdah division started in October 2018; it was the first all-women passenger train in Indian Railway history. It had femalemotormen,guards, and security personnel.[27][28] On 24 August 2015, train services were halted between the Barasat and Bangaon line after a protest by a group of passengers obstructed movement of the trains. They demanded that male passengers be allowed to travel on the Matribhumi ladies special trains. This occurred when Eastern Railway withdrew the decision to allow male passengers to travel on Matribhumi local.[29]
The Circular Railway corridor almost encircles the inner city neighbourhoods ofKolkata. At a length of 42 km (26 mi) with 20 stations, this line is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway's Sealdah Division. The line is completely single-tracked, with an elevated section between Princepghat and Majherhat through Kolkata port area. It also passes through Kolkata Railway Station, the third terminal at Kolkata city. Running by the side of the Hooghly River from Bagbazar to Princepghat, it joins and runs parallel to the Sealdah South tracks after Majerhat and elevates at Park Circus in order to bypass Sealdah (which is a terminal station). After bypassing Sealdah, it rejoins the mainline at Bidhannagar Road and again terminating at Dum Dum Jn. The line is also known asChakra Rail.[18]
Thecircular line is a point of interest for tourists. As it runs underRabindra Setu,Vidyasagar Setu and runs parallel to the Hooghly River, connecting multiple tourist places andghats it provides access to a scenic view for daily commuters and visitors.[30][31] Many trains form suburban towns enter this section, encircle the city and exit to suburban towns again, bypassing the saturated Sealdah Railway Station.
TheSealdah South line is an important link toSundarbans in West Bengal from Kolkata. It is also part of the Eastern Railway. This south section is exclusively for suburban train, and no express trains run in this section. Except the Lakshmikantapur – Namkhana section, rest of the lines are completely double line. This line has four corridors, and bifurcates as branch lines linking the southern suburbs to Kolkata. The main line starts at Sealdah terminating atNamkhana railway station with a length of 110 km (68 mi). The main line is double-tracked untilLakshmikantapur railway station and single-tracked from Lakshmikantapur to Namkhana. The first branch line of this corridor starts atBallygunge Junction terminating atBudge Budge railway station with a length of 19 km (12 mi). A second branch line starts atSonarpur Junction terminating at Canning with a length of 29 km (18 mi). The third branch line starts atBaruipur Junction railway station terminating atDiamond Harbour railway station with the length of 35 km (22 mi). This line has a sole depot atSonarpur.[18][26]
This line has three interchange stations, atMajerhat andPark Circus with Circular Railway and at Sealdah for Eastern line.Kolkata metroBlue Line andOrange Line meet with this line at New Garia station and smooth interchange facility available.
The Chord link line connects Sealdah to Dankuni Junction on the Howrah–Barddhaman Chord. This line splits from the main line at Dumdum Junction. This is fully double line and used by both suburban and express trains. This line plays an important role in connecting the Sealdah Division's mainline with the Howrah–Bardhaman chord, which is primarily used by freight and passenger trains heading towards North India(The Howrah–Bardhaman chord is part of theHowrah–Delhi mainline and theGrand Chord). The Chord link crosses the Hooghly River on theVivekananda Setu road-rail bridge.[18]
This corridor has a famous tourist spot, theDakshineswar Kali Temple, whereRamakrishna Paramhansa served as a priest. It also includes the road-cum-rail bridge, Vivekananda Setu, also known as the Bally Bridge.[32][33]
It has three interchange stations. Interchange is possible at Dum Dum Junction for the Eastern line (Sealdah–Gede mainline), at Dankuni Junction for the Eastern line (Howrah–Barddhaman Chord) and at Bally Halt (lying above Bally station) for the Eastern Line (Howrah–Barddhaman mainline).Kolkata metroBlue Line runs parallel to this line between Dumdum and Dakshineshwar, and has interchange facilities atDum Dum,Baranagar andDakshineswhar stations.[18][34]
A new line is under construction betweenAmta andBagnan with a length of 16 km (9.9 mi) under the jurisdiction of the South Eastern Railway sanctioned in 2010–11. Another line is in progress between Masalandpur and Swarupnagar of 12.30 km, contract work has been awarded to RITES for soil testing. Another new line is in progress between theDakshinbari andTarakeswar with joint work by the ER and SER.[35]
On the southern part of the Eastern Railways side, there is an expansion of the line between Canning andJharkhali with a length of 42 km (26 mi). The second expansion is atKakdwip railway station and Budhakhali with a length of 5 km (3.1 mi). It extends toSagar Island on the Hooghly River delta.[36] The island can only be reached by boat; expansion of this line is a boon for the people of island providing better connectivity. The third expansion is at Namkhana andBakkhali with a length of 31 km (19 mi), and a fourth expansion betweenKulpi railway station and Bahrarat with a length of 38 km (24 mi).[37] However, due to land acquisition and political problems, although the projects are not officially dead, but progress is very very slow.
Three types of local train services are operated. They are normal locals, trains which stop at every station; galloping locals, these trains have limited stops and skip the smaller stations;[38] and women-only trains known asMatribhoomi local.[27][39]TheRailway Protection Force (RPF) andGovernment Railway Police (GRP) are responsible for the security of Kolkata Suburban Railway.[40] The major stations in Kolkata also haveclosed-circuit cameras.[41]
There are three travel classes:
During 2010–11, there was an average of 1,275 trains per day. The average passenger capacity perrake was 6,207. In 2014–15, the average number of trains was 1,511 with an average passenger capacity per rake of 4,141. In the last five years, there was an increase of three percent in the average number of trains per day and reduction of eight percent in the average number of passengers per rake. The number of passengers carried in 2013–14 was 1,150,000,000 and in 2014–15 was 1,120,000,000—a reduction of three percent in total trips. The daily ridership as of 2017–18 is 3,500,000.[16][45][46]
In the 2013Railway Budget, the Railway Board increased the Kolkata suburban ticket fare by eight paise per kilometre, although the railway ministry has hiked it by two paise per kilometre. The number of slabs has also been reduced to four—₹5 (5.9¢ US),₹10 (12¢ US),₹15 (18¢ US) and₹20 (24¢ US)—from the eight slabs earlier. Also, ticket denominations have been rounded off to multiples of₹5 (5.9¢ US). As per the revised slab, a person travelling up to 20 km (12 mi) will have to pay₹5 (5.9¢ US), between 21 km (13 mi) and 45 km (28 mi)₹10 (12¢ US), between 46 km (29 mi) and 70 km (43 mi)₹15 (18¢ US), and between 71 km (44 mi) and 100 km (62 mi)₹20 (24¢ US). One can buy a monthly, quarterly or season ticket if commuting regularly on a particular route. This allows unlimited rides on that route. Season tickets are the most cost-effective and time-efficient option for regular commuters.[42][47]
Kolkata Suburban Railway uses aproof-of-payment fare collection system. Tickets can be bought for a single journey (one way) or a return journey. Travelling without a valid ticket is an offence and if caught can result in a penalty. As per the Indian Railway Report, in 2016–17, the Eastern Railway and the South Eastern Railway generated₹539.8 million (US$6.4 million) through penalties imposed on ticketless and irregular travelers, an increase from 2013 to 2014 with₹112 million (US$1.3 million).[48]
Offline tickets can be bought from the unreserved ticket counters present at every station and Cash/Smart Card operated Ticket Vending Machines (CoTVM) andAutomatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM) installed in most of the stations.[49] One can issue online tickets using the UTSOnMobile app.[50][51]
Earlier there were also Cash operated Ticket Vending Machines (CoTVM) which also could operate by smart cards, but due to frequent malfunction it has later withdrawn from service.
Some routes do not have any regular EMU services and therefore bypass the Kolkata Suburban Railway Network. To connect people on these routes, passenger trains run to help transport people from small towns and villages to the Kolkata Metropolitan Area and vice versa. There are two routes that bypass the Kolkata Suburban Railway and are not connected to any other network. The first route is from Tamluk to Digha, which is under the jurisdiction of South Eastern Railway with a length of 94 km (58 mi). The second route is from Krishnanagar City Junction toLalgola, which is under the jurisdiction of Eastern Railway with a length of 128 km (80 mi).[52][53]
The Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) for the Kolkata suburban services were built domestically at theIntegral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur; the first EMU rolled out in September 1962.[9][26]
TheHowrah division of Eastern Railways has a rolling stock of 12-coach EMUs made byJessop, ICF andTitagarh Wagons.BEML EMU's have been purchased and are in use. A few Unique BEML stainless steel EMUs are also in service.[54] A small fleet of 12-coachSiemens EMUs are also in service.MEMU Rakes from theRail Coach Factory, Kapurthala (RCF) andDiesel multiple units (DEMUs)) from the ICF are in service. Howrah division has 61 12-car rakes.
TheSealdah division has rolling stock including nine and 12-coach EMUs, also made by Jessop, ICF and Titagarh Wagons. A small fleet of Siemens 12-coach EMUs is also in service. BEML EMU's have been purchased and are in use and a small number of unique BEML stainless steel EMUs are also in service.[54]DEMU trains made by ICF and MEMU from Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala (RCF) are in service. The number of 12-car EMU rakes in Sealdah division is 125.[55][56][57][58] There are some Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) rakes also.[59][26]
The South Eastern Railways uses 12-coach EMUs made by Jessop, Siemens, Titagarh Wagons and ICF. BEML EMUs have been purchased and are in use.[57] A few unique BEML stainless steel EMUs are also in service. SER was the first Division in West Bengal to use the ICF Medha 3-phase rakes.[56] DEMU rakes from ICF and MEMU from RCF are in service. In February 2018, SER launched Medha ICF Rakes on the Howrah–Kharagpur route and on 15 April 2018, Eastern Railway also started using them on the Howrah–Bandel Route.[55][60][58] SER has 30 12-car EMU rakes.[12][61]
Every division of the Kolkata Suburban Railway are rapidly replacing their old Jessop and ICF EMUs with the latest Medha 3-phase EMU rakes made by ICF withBombardier Transportation (nowAlstom). Almost all the EMU Units used by the Kolkata Suburban Railway are equipped with a GPS-based passenger information system. Some EMUs, which were previously in service with the Western Line of theMumbai Suburban Railway, were later shifted to Kolkata for service.[62][63][60]
On June 18, 2025 Eastern Railway's first Air-conditioned EMU arrived in Ranaghat carshed scheduled to run on Sealdah-Ranaghat Line. On Aug 10, 2025 Kolkata suburban railway's first AC local between Sealdah and Ranaghat inaugurated.[64]
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The Howrah to Bardhaman section of Eastern Railway, got equipped with 3000 V DC electrification by 1958. Following the research and trials bySNCF inEurope, Indian Railways decided to adopt25 kV AC system as a standard in 1957, as it was found more economical, and by 1968 the mainlines of both zones were electrified with 25 kV AC traction.[65] Branch lines and other lines were gradually electrified later.[9] On 5 January 2015, the Kalinarayanpur to Krishnagar City Junction route via Shantipur was totally converted into electrified broad gauge from narrow gauge with three phases, Phase-I was from Krishnanagar City Junction to Shantipur Junction which was commissioned on 7 February 2012; Phase II was from Shantipur Junction to Phulia which was commissioned on 30 January 2014; and the last, Phase III, for Phulia to Kalinarayanpur was commissioned and later EMU services begun.[66] On 12 January 2018, the Barddhaman to Katwa line was totally converted to electrified broad gauge from narrow gauge with two phases—Phase-I Barddhaman to Balgona and Phase-II Balgona To Katwa began to be converted beginning on 30 May 2012.[67][68][69] Currently, the network has a 25 kV overheadcatenary electrification system, with5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) Indian broad gauge tracks.[70]
AnElectronic Interlocking signalling system is most widely used, replacing the old lever frames/panel interlockings system. To increase sectional capacity and efficiency, automatic signalling is being used. This is controlled by AC/DC track circuits, axle counters etc. The axle counter system is used to detect the presence of a train in anabsolute block section, point zone area of a station and level crossings.[41][71]
Anoptical fibre communication system is the backbone of the telecommunications network. The telecommunications facility is anomnibus circuit between stations and the central control hub at Sealdah and Howrah. For ground based mobile communication,Mobile Train Radio Communication (MTRC) is used.[41][72]
In the early 1980s, down Kalyani Simanta local overshot the down starter signal at Kalyani rail station and rammed into up Krishnagar City local which was coming into pf. 1 from the opposite direction. Eye-witnesses say the 'head' of the down local hit the 'belly' of the up local. Several coaches derailed, and passengers sustained injuries as both trains were going slow (10kmph). Services on the mainline were suspended for a few days and the derailed rakes kept laying in Kalyani outers for several months.
Two local trains (Sealdah–Shantipur EMU local and Shantipur–Sealdah EMU local) collided on the same track atPhulia railway station on 7 January 2012. One person was killed and several were injured. Three coaches of both trains derailed.[73]
On 12 December 2013, an accident was averted as two trains arrived on the same line at Sealdah Station. The driver of the Sealdah–Lalgola passenger train which left from platform seven had overshot the starter signal and entered the down main line but stopped upon noticing the Bangaon–Sealdah local, which was coming from the opposite direction. This was reported to the control room and the passenger train was hauled back to platform seven of Sealdah Station.[74]
Fourteen passengers were injured when an explosion took place inside a compartment of the Sealdah–Krishnanagar local train early on the morning of 12 May 2015. The blast took place just after a person boarded the train at Titagarh station, which is 21 km (13 mi) from Sealdah. Train services along the Sealdah Section were normal. However, two trains were cancelled as train movement was affected following the incident.[75]
On 17 November 2015, a 40-year-old man, who had boarded the Howrah–Bandel Matribhumi special local for women only, fell off the train and died between Uttarpara and Hind Motor stations. This incident occurred when the man boarded the train. Some female commuters surrounded and abused him. He was eventually forced to get off the train. When the man realized a station was approaching, he ran to grab the handle but missed it and fell from the train to his death.[76]
On 19 July 2017, a train from Sonarpur Jn to Sealdah (South) Station broke the buffer and hit the wall of platform number 13 in Sealdah (South) Station. This incident happened in the morning around 10:25 am (IST).[77]
On 4 September 2018,Majerhat Bridge which was 40 years old, collapsed on the rail line betweenMajerhat andNew Alipore at around 4:45 pm (IST), which results in the death of 3 people while injuring at least 25 others. After the collapse,Eastern Railways suspended train services viaMajerhat railway station on theKolkata Circular Railway andSealdah-Budge Budge lines temporarily.[78]
On 28 September 2018, one woman was killed while another woman sustained serious injuries after a slab of a foot over-bridge (FOB) at Baruipur railway station in South 24 Parganas fell on them from a height of 30 ft (9.1 m). This incident happened at night. According to locals and daily passengers, the foot over-bridge was in bad condition due to lack of maintenance.[79]
There was a stampede on a foot over-bridge atSantragachi railway station in West Bengal on 23 October 2018. Two people died and twelve others were injured, including two children and two women. This incident occurred because of the arrival of two trains at the same time. People rushed to board the trains and that created a stampede-like situation on the bridge.[80]
On 2 October 2019, A local train coming from Masagram was derailed, when it was entering on Platform no.6 of Howrah railway station. No casualties were reported. This incident happened around 8:10 pm (IST).[81]
On 15 March 2020, a massive fire broke out in the Salimpur slum area which lies near theDhakuria railway station track at around 8:30 am. No casualties were reported. After this incident,Sealdah South lines were suspended temporarily.[82]
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