For years, critical infrastructure projects intended to make train travel safer and faster for the people of West Bengal were stalled due to a persistent lack of cooperation from the outgoing state government. Despite repeated warnings regarding public safety and the deteriorating condition of vital bridges, the previous administration’s inaction had brought several key projects to a complete standstill.
The most alarming example of this neglect involves the Banaras and Chandmari Road Over Bridges (ROBs) near Howrah station. For months, the railway administration issued urgent warnings about the rapidly deteriorating structural condition of these bridges, noting that technical inspections revealed the structures had become a direct threat to both road users and the trains running beneath them. In a high-level meeting on 10 February, the state government had promised to grant a traffic block within one week to allow replacement work to begin, yet that promise was never kept. While the outgoing government sat on the approvals, the Chandmari Bridge saw tragic incidents where citizens fell through broken sections of the bridge under the state’s jurisdiction.
General Manager of Eastern Railway, Milind Deouskar, personally led the efforts to push these projects forward against all odds. He consistently engaged with state officials, emphasising that the railways were providing cent percent funding.
The Naihati-Ranaghat section and the Ranaghat-Krishnanagar section 3rd Line projects have been effectively on hold due to shifting demands from district authorities over land maps. Despite the railways submitting all necessary plans by July 2025, the outgoing administration’s refusal to recognise standard survey maps created a complete stalemate. Similarly, the Sainthia Bypass project, declared a special railway project over five years ago, has seen no land handed over. Even after legal notifications were issued, the failure to award compensation to locals has stalled progress since 2020.
Furthermore, for major projects like the Chandanpur-Shaktigarh 4th Line, Murarai-Barharwa 3rd Line, and Dankuni-Baltikuri 3rd & 4th Line, the railways requested the appointment of competent authorities (CALA) as far back as April 2025, yet the outgoing government failed to take even this basic administrative step.
With the alignment of the state and Central governments, Eastern Railway is finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. The replacement of the Banaras Bridge can now be prioritised to avoid a total collapse of the transport corridor.
The safety of our passengers and the public is our absolute priority, said Shibram Majhi, Chief Public Relations Officer of Eastern Railway. With the removal of previous administrative bottlenecks caused by the outgoing government, we are now poised to fast-track these long-pending projects.