The Sealdah Division of Eastern Railway (ER) has launched full-scale preparations for the Durga Puja 2025 festive rush, convening a high-level review meeting on Thursday, 27 August to coordinate crowd management, infrastructure upgrades, and emergency response across key stations in Kolkata and its suburbs. The division recorded a peak footfall of approximately 21 lakh passengers in a single day during last year's Durga Puja — a benchmark that is now driving every aspect of this year's planning.

High-Level Review Meeting

Rajeev Saxena, Divisional Railway Manager, Sealdah, chaired the preparedness meeting via video conference, with branch officers, station officials, and frontline field supervisors in attendance. The session was designed to gather ground-level feedback, identify practical challenges, and ensure all departments are aligned before the festive period begins. Saxena emphasised that all infrastructure works must remain passenger-centric and be completed well ahead of the Puja rush.

Crowd Management and Ticketing Measures

A detailed platform-wise assessment of passenger holding capacity, platform length, and train operations is underway to prevent overcrowding. All ticket counters at Sealdah and Kolkata stations will operate round the clock, with additional booking clerks deployed during peak morning and evening hours. Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) with facilitators will run continuously, and staff equipped with Hand-Held Terminals (HHTs) will be deployed within crowds to issue on-the-spot tickets, reducing queue pressure at counters.

Adequate signage and Train Information Boards (TIBs) are being installed for clearer passenger guidance. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel will regulate queues and passenger movement, supported by public announcements and coordination from the commercial department. CCTV-based monitoring will be used extensively to track crowd density and enable early intervention.

Infrastructure Upgrades Across Stations

The newly opened Central Gate at Sealdah is being designated as a dedicated entry and exit point for mail and express passengers, reducing cross-movement within the station. At Dum Dum, booking counters near platforms 4 and 5 are being dismantled to create a larger passenger circulation area. At Barrackpore, a newly constructed ticket booking counter will be opened and additional ticketing and circulation facilities are being created. The Foot Overbridge (FOB) at the Ranaghat end at Barrackpore is nearing completion and will be commissioned at the earliest to ease pressure on the central FOB.

Modern toilet complexes are being arranged at Sealdah, Ballygunge, and Dum Dum stations to improve hygiene and passenger convenience. Corrective works at the Bidhannagar subway are also underway to ensure safer movement. Approach roads at level crossing gates are being strengthened to facilitate smoother traffic flow.

Emergency Preparedness and Staff Training

Emergency routes, evacuation arrangements, medical assistance, and disaster-response measures are all being reviewed ahead of the festival. Employees and supervisors across departments are being briefed and trained on disaster management, emergency response protocols, and their individual responsibilities during the festive rush. This is the second consecutive year the Sealdah Division has conducted such structured pre-Puja preparedness reviews.

'Through coordinated planning, infrastructure improvements, enhanced ticketing facilities, modern passenger amenities, crowd-control measures and strengthened emergency preparedness, the Sealdah Division is committed to ensuring a safe, well-managed and passenger-friendly Puja experience for lakhs of commuters and pandal hoppers,' Saxena said. With Durga Puja less than two months away, the pace of ground-level execution will determine whether the division can match — or surpass — the operational standards set last year.