Kolkata, 04 September (H.S.): With rail services between Kolkata, Malda and Siliguri disrupted following a landslide on the railway track near Farakka, the West Bengal Transport Department has taken several emergency measures to manage the additional rush of passengers.

On the initiative of the Transport Minister, additional bus services have been introduced on several key routes to ensure that passengers do not face inconvenience due to the disruption.

On the Kolkata-Siliguri route, 23 additional buses are being operated on Friday. In addition, one regular service has been extended from Malda to Siliguri. Six additional buses were also operated from Kolkata to Siliguri last night.

On the Siliguri-Kolkata route, 18 buses are operating today, including 12 additional services. Two extra buses have been deployed on the Durgapur-Balurghat route and another two on the Kolkata-Balurghat route. Five buses are also operating between Malda and Kolkata.

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Special evening services from Kolkata to Siliguri

To provide additional assistance to passengers travelling to North Bengal, special evening bus services have been introduced between the New Esplanade Bus Terminus in Kolkata and the NGP Bus Terminus in Siliguri.

The special buses will depart at 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:30 pm, 8:30 pm, 9 pm and 9:30 pm.

The Managing Directors of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) and South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) have been directed to arrange additional buses as required, depending on passenger demand and the prevailing situation.

District magistrates have also been instructed to coordinate with private bus operators and ensure that passengers are not charged unreasonable fares. If necessary, private buses may also be requisitioned on an emergency basis to further augment passenger transport capacity.

The Transport Department said it is closely monitoring the situation and will take further measures as required to ensure safe, convenient and uninterrupted travel for passengers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh