Kolkata, July 19 (IANS) Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday flagged off the first ladies special EMU train and 19 augmented 12-coach EMU services in Howrah division in West Bengal, in line with the commitment she made during her 2009-10 budget speech.
“This special ladies local train would ply between Howrah and Bandel station twice daily during the peak hours. It will help the women passengers of the Howrah division to travel comfortably during the office hours,” Banerjee said during the flagging off ceremony.

The minister said the railways will soon inaugurate a station near Mandarmoni, a coastal tourism spot in the state, with a target to connect all major tourist destinations through rail.

“If we can focus on developing infrastructure, it will not only help tourism to flourish but it will create a huge employment opportunity for our future generations.”

Banerjee said that there would also be a third line between Panskura and Kharagpur, two important stations in the South Eastern Railway (SER).

“There will be at least 120 special trains available during the coming pujas so that people of the state could easily travel during the festive season,” she said.