Railway authorities have decided to introduce three AC-III sleeper coaches in the Haldibari—Kolkata Superfast Express from this week.

The train, which runs thrice a week from both Haldibari and Kolkata (Chitpur) stations, used to run with only one AC chair car coach and 14 second-class sitting coaches so far.

“From November 14, the train will depart from the Kolkata (Chitpur) station with the new AC-III sleeper coaches. Those traveling from Haldibari can travel in these coaches from November 15,” said Surendra Kumar, the divisional railway manager of the Katihar division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

With three new coaches being added, it will be an eighteen-coach train from Thursday.

Jayanta Roy, the MP of Jalpaiguri, said people from different walks of life had requested him to see if airconditioned sleeper coaches could be introduced in the train.

“Many people avail this train, including lawyers who come to the Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court in Jalpaiguri. So far, they had to travel in chair cars. Now, they can have a better journey and can even sleep on the train,” said Roy.

From Haldibari, the train leaves on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8.30am and reaches the Kolkata (Chitpur) station, which is 620 kilometres away, at 7.40pm.

The train departs from Kolkata (Chitpur) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9.05am to reach Haldibari at 8.20pm.

“This new facility (of traveling in an AC-III sleeper coach) will surely increase the number of passengers in the train. People will feel also benefit from travelling on the train that also connects important stations like New Jalpaiguri, Malda Town, and Barddhaman on the way,” said Sabyasachi Roy, a Jalpaiguri resident.