Eastern Railway announced that an air-conditioned Sealdah-Ranaghat local will halt at five additional stations on an experimental timetable to reduce peak-hour overcrowding.
Separate special services will serve Diamond Harbour and Canning branches during evening rushes, addressing long-standing demand from suburban commuters in South 24 Parganas.
Ticket collectors received updated stop lists effective immediately, while display boards at Sealdah were reprogrammed overnight.
Passenger associations cautiously welcomed the move but requested permanent integration if load factors improve without delaying express trains.
Railway managers will review footfall sensors and complaint logs for two weeks before deciding on broader rollout across the Kolkata suburban network.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/kolkata/sealdah-ranaghat-ac-local-to-stop-at-5-more-stations-diamond-harbour-canning-get-special-trains-10737575/