Chhapra: The North Eastern Railway has announced the operation of a weekly special train between Mau and Kolkata to manage increased passenger demand and ease congestion on the route.
The Mau–Kolkata–Mau Special Train will run for 15 trips. The service will depart from Mau Junction every Wednesday from April 8 to July 15, while the return journey from Kolkata will operate every Thursday from April 9 to July 16.
According to the schedule, train number 05096 will depart Mau at 1:30 pm and reach Chhapra Junction at 5:20 pm, passing through stations including Belthara Road, Salempur, Bhatni, Siwan and Ekma. It will then continue via Hajipur, Barauni, Kiul, Jhajha, Jasidih, Asansol and Bardhaman before arriving in Kolkata at 8:50 am the following day.
On the return journey, train number 05095 will depart Kolkata at 1:20 pm and reach Chhapra Junction at 3:20 am the next day, before arriving back at Mau Junction at 7:45 am.
The special train will comprise 19 coaches, including two SLRD coaches, ten general second-class coaches, five sleeper class coaches, one AC third-class coach and one AC second-class coach.
In a related development, the railways has extended the operation of the Surat–Chhapra Special Train (09065/09066). The Surat to Chhapra service will now run until June 29, while the return service from Chhapra to Surat will continue until July 1.
During the extended period, the Surat–Chhapra train will run with 24 coaches, including 10 AC third-class coaches, 10 sleeper coaches, two general coaches and two SLRD coaches.
Ashok Kumar, public relations officer of North Eastern Railway, said the introduction and extension of these services are expected to provide significant relief to passengers and help reduce overcrowding on key routes.
