Kolkata, 4 October (H.S.).

Rail passengers in West Bengal are likely to face major inconvenience during the festive season as the Eastern Railway has announced the cancellation, diversion, and rescheduling of several trains due to interlocking work at Durgapur station on the Barddhaman–Asansol section.

According to Eastern Railway sources, the interlocking work will begin on October 6 and continue until November 23. During this period, a total of 57 trains, mostly express services, will remain cancelled. In addition, several trains will run on diverted routes, and the destinations of some have been curtailed.

Trains such as the Howrah–Mokama Express and the Deoghar–Howrah Mayurakshi Express will operate via alternate routes, while the Howrah–Ranchi Shatabdi Express, Ranchi–Howrah Shatabdi Express, and New Delhi–Howrah Poorva Express will see changes in their schedules.

Passengers have expressed strong displeasure over the timing of the maintenance work, saying that cancelling so many trains during the festive season—when thousands of people travel home—will cause severe hardship.

However, railway officials have defended the decision, stating that the interlocking project is essential for upgrading the old signalling and track systems. “A few weeks of inconvenience will lead to safer and smoother travel in the future,” said an official.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh