Kolkata: Eastern Railway has drawn up a plan to double the train-originating capacity of key cities over the next five years, with a target to substantially scale up infrastructure by 2030.
Eastern Railway will augment current terminals with additional platforms, stabling and pit lines and improved shunting facilities, while also identifying and developing new terminals in and around urban areas.
Maintenance infrastructure, including mega coaching complexes, is also part of the blueprint.
This move is part of a larger national exercise to expand coaching terminals and ease congestion across major urban rail hubs.
Capacity enhancement will not be limited to terminal stations alone. Sectional capacity across rail corridors will be strengthened through traffic facility works, signalling upgrades, and multi-tracking at critical stretches to handle the higher volume of trains.
Stations surrounding major terminals would also be upgraded to ensure balanced capacity expansion and smoother operations.
In the Kolkata region, Howrah and Sealdah have been identified as priority hubs for capacity enhancement with plans to increase platforms and stabling lines.
The exercise will cover both suburban and non-suburban services, recognising their distinct operational requirements.
For Eastern Railway, Kolkata and Bhagalpur have been identified as key cities under the expansion program.
In the Sealdah division, a detailed series of traffic facility augmentation works has been planned to come with the projected doubling of passenger traffic by 2030.
The proposed line and yard improvements include your new stabling lines at Sealdah (Woodgola) siding, six at Belgharia, four at Kalyani and additional stabling lines at Krishnanagar City, Canning, Diamond Harbour and other locations.
New loop lines are planned at Kulpi, Lalgola and Gede, while an additional line will be added at Bangaon.
Yard remodelling works are slated at 13 stations, including Krishnanagar City Junction, Bangaon, Barrackpore and Diamond Harbour.
