Burdwan University on Saturday rescheduled its undergraduate third-semester exams because of the disruption in train services in the Howrah division of the railways owing to large-scale maintenance work.

Sources said that third-semester exams in Burdwan University-affiliated colleges spread over three districts — Burdwan, Hooghly and Birbhum — were scheduled to start on February 9. Now, they will start on February 13 going by the executive council’s decision.

“Disruption in train services led us to reschedule the exam as a large number of students commute to the examination centres by train. After preliminary talks with railway authorities, our executive council decided to reschedule the third-semester examination,” said Sujit Kumar Choudhury, varsity registrar.

Dozens of express and local trains in the Howrah division were cancelled in phases since January 26 for track repairs.

Train services in the Howrah-Burdwan section were disrupted in phases, which sources say is expected to continue till February 11 as the railways are demolishing an abandoned overbridge near Burdwan station.

“Several local and express trains were cancelled or re-routed since January 26 to pave the way for the demolition of the railway overbridge. Primarily, over half the express and local trains plying through Burdwan have been cancelled till February 11. But we think it would take a few more days to complete the task,” said a railway official in Burdwan and added that normal train services were likely after mid-February.

“Demolition is on in phases and we are cancelling trains when needed. We think it would take at least the second week of February to wrap up the job, but the number of trains will go up from February 11 onwards,” he added.

Sources said that among important trains, the Santiniketan Express, which connects Santiniketan with Howrah and is the primary mode of communication to Tagore town from Calcutta, will stay off tracks till February 9.

The Maa Tara Express and the Hool Express will also be cancelled till February 11, as will at least two dozen local trains on the main and chordline sections of the Howrah-Burdwan sector.

Railway officials said they regretted the disruption to train services but the demolition of the old overbridge near Burdwan railway station was “really important” as it was structurally “vulnerable” and mishap-prone.