Eastern Railway plans major expansion of coaching terminals to meet rising travel demand

KOLKATA: In response to a sustained surge in passenger traffic, Eastern Railway has drawn up an ambitious 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. The move is part of a larger national exercise to expand coaching terminals and ease congestion across major urban rail hubs.

Railway planners have noted that existing terminal infrastructure is increasingly under strain as both suburban and long-distance travel demand continue to rise. To address this, 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.


“We’re expanding coaching terminals in key cities to meet rising passenger demand and reduce congestion. This move will upgrade the railway network and significantly improve nationwide connectivity,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology.

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. Officials said 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. A comprehensive, time-bound plan covering 48 major cities across the country is currently under consideration, with works classified under immediate, short-term, and long-term categories so that benefits accrue progressively.

For Eastern Railway, Kolkata and Bhagalpur have been identified as key cities under the expansion programme. In the Sealdah Division, a detailed set of traffic facility augmentation works has been planned to cope with the projected doubling of passenger traffic by 2030.

The proposed line and yard improvements include four 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.

Major line-capacity projects include doubling of the Ranaghat–Bangaon section, and construction of third lines between Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City and Kalyani–Ranaghat. Signalling modernisation through automatic signalling systems is planned on several busy suburban sections, including Lake Gardens–Budge Budge, Baruipur–Diamond Harbour, Sonarpur–Canning and Ranaghat–Krishnanagar City.

In addition, dedicated stabling, maintenance and overhaul facilities are being set up in Kolkata for Vande Bharat trains to ensure safe, efficient and reliable operations from Sealdah Division.



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