The Sealdah division earned more than Rs 25 lakh from ticket sales at two stations of Namkhana and Kakdwip during six days of Gangasagar Mela.

According to the divisional railway manager of Sealdah, Deepak Nigam, numerous devotees patronised the Railway commute even in this year of the annual congregation. As informed by Mr Nigam, on the very first day of the peak mela period on 12 January, the ridership recorded in the south section was considerably good. Despite being a Sunday, the division registered a ridership of 24 lakh as a whole from last year’s 18.4 lakh on the corresponding day.

Advertisement

A closer look at the figure of the division revealed that Namkhana and Kakdwip continued to have rush of devotees bringing good numbers of ticket sales to the division. With a large number of devotees flocking to the mela venue on two days particularly 14 and 15 January, the division earned more than more than Rs five lakh and over six lakh from ticket sales only at Kakdwip station. Likewise, the ticket sale earnings at Namkhana were over Rs two lakh on both the days of the peak mela period. As learnt from the divisional railway office figures of ticket sales, the Sealdah division earned Rs 25,51,657 from ticket sales on 14-15 January at Kakdwip and Namkhana station from 12 to 17 January.

Notably, the Sealdah division made elaborate arrangements for the Gangasagar Mela assigning specific tasks to various departments. While the operations department was to maintain punctuality and ensure the timely arrival of trains at their destinations, the traction rolling stock (TRS) department was to maintain the fleet of EMU rakes, which were pressed into service for both regular and special trains. Regular maintenance and inspections were done to ensure that the trains were in optimal condition, providing a comfortable and safe journey for passengers. The commercial department set up additional ticket counters to facilitate quick and easy ticket booking and the electrical department was instructed to provide a safe, secure and uninterrupted power supply environment for passengers during night hours. Engineering department constructed special types of tents to create waiting areas for pilgrims, equipped with modern amenities and also built modern toilets for male, female, and differently-abled passengers at Kakdwip and Namkhana. Medical booths were set up at Sealdah, Kakdwip, and Namkhana, with medical staff available round the clock to provide first aid and medical assistance.