(Photo Courtesy: NFR)
Maligaon, November 11 (MExN): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has announced five pairs of festival special trains to provide additional travel options for passengers during the Chhath Puja period, catering to routes across Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
The additional services include two extended pairs and three additional pairs of special trains. Train Nos. 07555/07554 (Katihar–Purnea–Katihar) have been extended up to Arariya, while Train Nos. 08661/08662 (Ranchi–Alipurduar Junction–Ranchi) will operate two additional trips in each direction.
The three additional pairs comprise Train Nos. 07546/07545 and 07548/07547 (Katihar–Manihari–Katihar), and Train Nos. 03125/03126 (Kolkata–New Cooch Behar–Kolkata).
Train No. 07555 (Katihar–Arariya) Festival Special will operate daily from November 11 to 30, leaving Katihar at 9.30 pm and reaching Arariya at 11.30 pm. In the return direction, Train No. 07554 (Arariya–Katihar) will operate daily from November 12 to December 1, departing Arariya at 12.15 am and arriving at Katihar at 2.15 am.
Train No. 08661 (Ranchi–Alipurduar Junction) Weekly Puja Special will make two additional trips from Ranchi on November 16 and 23. In the return direction, Train No. 08662 (Alipurduar Junction–Ranchi) will depart from Alipurduar Junction on November 18 and 25. Both services will operate according to their existing timings, stoppages and coach composition.
Train No. 07546 (Katihar–Manihari) Festival Special commenced its daily service on November 9 and will continue until November 16. It will depart Katihar at 11.15 pm and reach Manihari at 12.15 am the following day.
In the return direction, Train No. 07545 (Manihari–Katihar) commenced operations on November 10 and will run until November 17, departing Manihari at 2 am and reaching Katihar at 3 am. The train will have eight coaches and operate eight trips in each direction.
Another service, Train No. 07548 (Katihar–Manihari) Festival Special, will operate daily from November 11 to 16, departing Katihar at 10.45 am and reaching Manihari at 11.45 am. Its return service, Train No. 07547 (Manihari–Katihar), will operate daily during the same period, departing Manihari at 12 noon and reaching Katihar at 1 pm.
This special train will have eight coaches and operate six trips in each direction. To accommodate additional passengers on the route, NFR will also augment Train Nos. 07540/07539 (Katihar–Manihari–Katihar) Festival Special by adding three coaches.
Train Nos. 03125/03126 (Kolkata–New Cooch Behar–Kolkata) Weekly Special commenced operations from Kolkata on November 7 and from New Cooch Behar on November 8.
Train No. 03125 will depart Kolkata at 11.40 pm on November 14, 21 and 28 and reach New Cooch Behar at 3.30 pm the following day. In the return direction, Train No. 03126 will depart New Cooch Behar at 6.30 pm on November 15, 22 and 29 and reach Kolkata at 8.10 am the following day.
Train derailment at Digaru station disrupts services, no injuries reported
Meanwhile, five coaches and the locomotive of Train No. 13125 Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed at Digaru railway station in Assam at around 6.54 am on Wednesday while entering a loop line to give precedence to another train. No casualties or major injuries were reported.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), all passengers were shifted to a special train, which departed Digaru at 11.30 am for their onward journey towards Sairang. Food and drinking water were also provided to stranded passengers.
Normal train operations through both UP and DOWN lines have been restored, and trains held up at various stations have resumed their journeys. Senior officials, including the NFR General Manager, visited the site to supervise restoration work and investigate the incident.
