The Railway Board has approved Rs 396.04 million for the doubling of the Ranaghat-Bangaon rail line in West Bengal. This project aims to reduce congestion in the current section, which is operating at 114 per cent of its capacity. By doubling the 32.93 km stretch, the railways intend to improve the movement of both freight and passenger trains, benefitting the local districts of Nadia and North 24 Parganas.

The Ranaghat-Bangaon section is part of Eastern Railway’s Sealdah division. Ranaghat Junction is a key station on the Sealdah-Krishnanagar-Lalgola line, while Bangaon Junction connects to the Sealdah-Dum Dum-Bangaon-Petrapole line, which extends to the Bangladesh border.

Doubling the line will allow smoother and faster movement of both freight and passengers, including those from smaller stations like Cooper’s Halt, Gangnapur, and Majhergram, improving connectivity within West Bengal and to other states. Additionally, AC EMU local trains now run between Ranaghat and Sealdah via Bangaon.

Once the project is completed, there will be no delays caused by trains crossing each other, which will speed up travel. The project is expected to handle an additional 0.88 million tonnes of freight annually and offer 10 more passenger trains daily, resulting in an additional Rs 8.66 million in revenue.