It must be close to 50 years that suburban trains are plying from Sealdah and Howrah, but passenger amenities have hardly improved over the years. Take a look at the 2 photos below of Baghajatin station on Sealdah’s South section.
The platforms are narrow, and there is no decent seating arrangement for passengers. Further, unauthorized stalls at the back occupy nearly half of the space making it extremely difficult for passengers to move along the platform.
But then the platforms often serve as transit point for the people of the area with their bicycles to cross over from one side of the railway track to the other. They are not passengers but it doesn’t matter.
The most agonizing thing however is that the local trains seldom run in time. Often it’s a long wait for passengers as trains run late by 15-20 minutes or even more. The eager wait is so harrowing that you’d wonder perhaps you’re living in one of those banana republics of Africa where no rules rule.
Mind you this is a regular occurrence on certain routes especially in Sealdah division.
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