The road to Balurghat station. Picture by Ramen Mondal

Balurghat, Aug. 10: A trip to Calcutta by train or a return journey by the same means of transport has now an add-on for the people of Balurghat: a bone-jarring ride up and down the kilometre-long stretch that connects the town to the station.

Two years since the train services were introduced in South Dinajpur district, no effort has been made to keep the stretch roadworthy for vehicles, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws.

Just before the Eklakhi-Balurghat rail link was opened in 2004, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had constructed this narrow metalled road within a very short time, sources in the district administration said. The width of the road is so inadequate that two vehicles can hardly pass each other by without having to get off the metalled surface, or whatever remains of it.

With the onslaught of two monsoons and no repairs in between, the surface of the road has been virtually washed away, leaving behind huge, rainwater-filled potholes.

The road has been left in a state of disrepair even though the number of trains has increased. Currently, a night train arrives daily at 10. During power cuts, the passengers have a harrowing time. Besides damage to vehicles, those on foot have also had to suffer falls by tripping into the potholes.

The secretary of the Eklakhi-Balurghat Railway Development Committee, Pijushkanti Deb, said despite several letters to the NFR drawing their attention to the sorry condition of the road, nothing has been done. “They keep replying to us that a much broader and better road would be built there, but they have done nothing except give false assurances,” Deb said.

“The railway authorities have no business keeping mum,” said Gour Ranjan Banerjee, the secretary of the South Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce.

The in-charge of Balurghat station, Subrata Das, said he had passed on the grievances to his higher authorities. “I have heard that a tender would be called soon,” he said.