The Railway Board on Sunday sanctioned ₹396.04 crore for doubling the existing 32km railway tracks between Ranaghat and Bongaon under the Sealdah division of Eastern Railway.

The long-awaited project aims to improve connectivity, ensure seamless passenger and freight movement, and boost export-import operations through the Petrapole Land Port station near the India-Bangladesh border.

According to officials, the double-line section will facilitate the movement of an additional 0.88 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight and allow the operation of 10 more passenger trains in each direction daily.

This, railway experts believed, had the capacity to generate an estimated additional earning of ₹8.66 crore per year.

The Ranaghat–Bongaon stretch is a vital corridor of Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Division, linking Bongaon near the Bangladesh border with the Sealdah-Krishnanagar main line.

The route serves as a shorter, faster connection between the districts of Nadia and North 24-Parganas, carrying both suburban commuters
and freight.

Officials said the fresh sanction would accelerate the pace of work, which covers nine stations and includes the construction of two Limited Height Subways (LHS) — one between Ranaghat and Majhergram, and another between Majhergram and Gopalnagar.

The Ranaghat Junction lies on the Sealdah–Krishnanagar–Lalgola main line, while Bongaon Junction is on the Sealdah/Kolkata–Dum Dum–Bongaon–Petrapole route.

These two terminal stations, located at the far ends of Nadia and North 24-Parganas districts, are presently connected by a single line.

The current single-line section operates at 114 per cent capacity utilisation, leading to frequent congestion and delays.

“With the growing population and the need for faster logistics and passenger movement, there is a dire need for improved connectivity in this region,” said a spokesperson of Eastern Railway.

“Recently, AC EMU local train services have been introduced between Ranaghat and Sealdah via Bongaon, which has enhanced passenger convenience. The doubling of the Ranaghat–Bongaon section will further strengthen our efforts to augment railway services for the socio-economic development of the region,” the spokesperson of Eastern Railway added.

Once the doubling is completed, crossing detentions will be eliminated, ensuring faster and more efficient train movement, a railway official said.

“There will be no detention for train crossings, and speedy movement will be established between Ranaghat and Bongaon,” the Eastern Railway stated in a communiqué.

Officials added that the project would also contribute to the overall ease of living for people in the surrounding areas through better transport facilities and seamless connectivity for both freight and passengers.

Passengers and local associations have welcomed the Railway Board’s funds sanction for doubling the existing 32-km-long railway tracks between Ranaghat and Bongaon.

However, passengers urged similar attention to the long-pending third line project between Naihati and Ranaghat, which has faced delays due to encroachment by hawkers in several areas.

“The third line is now a big necessity, especially after the restoration of the Nasipur bridge connecting north Bengal through this route and the introduction of some new express trains, to north Bengal and the Northeast,” said Sanjit Dutta, the member of a railway passengers’ association.

“The railways should now expedite the project by removing encroachments in coordination with the Bengal government,” Dutta added.