Eastern Railway will operate 67 additional local train services across its Sealdah and Howrah divisions during Durga Puja 2026 to manage the expected passenger rush, while several regular suburban services will also be rescheduled or cancelled.
The Sealdah Division will run special trains from October 16 to 21 on routes connecting Sealdah with Ranaghat, Kalyani, Bangaon, Hasnabad and Dankuni. Additional services will also cover the southern section, including Baruipur, Diamond Harbour, Lakshmikantapur and Komagata Maru Budge Budge.
Late-night specials will operate on the intervening nights of October 16-17, 17-18, 18-19, 19-20 and 20-21. These trains will connect Sealdah with Ranaghat, Kalyani, Bangaon, Hasnabad and Dankuni. Additional services will run between Naihati and Krishnanagar City Junction, as well as on routes serving Sealdah South stations.
The division will also run evening specials on October 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 to destinations including Krishnanagar City Junction, Ranaghat, Kalyani and Bangaon. Additional EMU services will operate between Ranaghat, Sealdah and Lalgola from October 16 to 19. The special trains will stop at all stations along their routes.
The Howrah Division will operate additional EMU specials on the nights of October 17-18, 18-19, 19-20 and 20-21. These services will connect Howrah with Barddhaman through Bandel and Dankuni, Bandel with Naihati, Seoraphuli with Tarakeswar, and Howrah with Chandanpur through Dankuni. The trains will stop at all stations en route.
Existing services will also be modified between October 17 and 21. Train 63501, the Howrah-Barddhaman MEMU local departing Howrah at 1.30 am, will stop at all stations between Howrah and Bandel, as well as at Magra, Pandooah, Boinchi and Memari. Train 37731, the Bandel-Memari EMU local departing at 8.58 pm, will be extended to Barddhaman, reaching the destination at 10.25 pm. Its return service, train 37732, will start from Barddhaman at 10.40 pm instead of Memari and reach Bandel at 12.10 am.
The Sealdah Division will follow the Sunday timetable throughout the day on October 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21. On these dates, suburban services departing their originating stations after 2 pm will stop at all stations, including halts and flag stations. Twelve regular Sealdah suburban services will remain cancelled from October 17 to 21.
The Howrah Division will follow the Sunday timetable until 3 pm on October 18, 19, 20 and 21. The same arrangement will apply on October 25 for Lakshmi Puja and November 8 for Kali Puja, after which services will follow the regular weekday timetable. The 37220 Bandel-Howrah EMU local, departing Bandel at 5.40 am, will operate on its usual route and timings on all these festival days.
AC EMU local trains on the Sealdah Division will follow the weekday timetable from October 16 to 20 and the Sunday timetable on October 21. Passengers have been advised to check the running status and applicable timetable of their trains before travelling during the festival period.
