EMU local flagged off in remembrance of 60-year heritage

Kolkata: The eldest guard and driver working in Eastern Railway today flagged off an EMU local between Howrah and Seoraphuli to commemorate the first local train services in this route 60 years ago.

The driver and the guard are going to retire in December and January, 2018. Swapan Kumar Modi, guard and Sekhar Chattopadhyay, driver (Motorman), flagged off the train in the presence of Harindra Rao, General Manager, at Howrah station on Tuesday morning.

The EMU services in Eastern Railway was introduced for the first time in December 1957 between Howrah and Seorphuli of Howrah Division. Since suburban trains hauled by steam engines in Howrah and Sealdah Divisions had reached their saturation, it was felt that electric traction was the only alternative. As a sequel to this line of thinking, the first electric train travelled from Howrah to Seoraphuli on December 12, 1957.

On this occasion, Rao said that it is a historic event to celebrate the commemorative run of the EMU train which was flagged off by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in presence of the then Railway minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr BC Roy.

With the introduction of the EMU trains on that august day, Eastern Railway today has a proud position to run 1,393 EMU train services, including 476 EMU services in Howrah Division and 917 EMU services in Sealdah Division every day for the benefit of the passengers.

He also pointed out that Seoraphuli–Barddhaman and Seoraphuli–Tarakeswar branches were electrified by December 1965. The electrification of Howrah–Barddhaman Chord and Calcutta Chord link were completed in 1966, which ushered in a new era of faster and more comfortable train journey for the commuters.

Rao also said that great stress has been laid for further improvement of EMU train services of both Howrah and Sealdah Divisions, so that passengers can enjoy faster, more comfortable and secured train journeys to reach their destinations. All-out efforts have also been made to maintain even better punctuality of EMU services over Eastern Railway.