Dooars Tourism Takes Hit as Kanchankanya Express Cancellation Disrupts Winter Travel

Dooars tourism has suffered as a result of the railways' decision to halt a long-distance express train that runs between north Bengal and Calcutta for almost two weeks this month due to track maintenance.

The Kanchankanya Express, which travels between Sealdah and Alipurduar, would not operate from December 10 to December 22, according to sources in the railway industry. Additionally, the Padatik Express and Uttarbanga Express, two other trains that link the area, will take longer to arrive at their destinations since they will be routed via alternate routes.

"That the railroads have decided to do this is regrettable. Beginning in the middle of this month, tourists will begin to flow into the Dooars, and this tendency will continue until the end of January. Many of them have reserved rooms at resorts and even safaris into the woodlands. Some of them have begun to postpone their travels in the wake of the decision. The Dooars Tourism Development Forum's joint secretary, Biplab Dey, said that the decision would have an impact on the region's tourism sector.

People working in the Dooars tourist sector, particularly in the eastern region that includes the Alipurduar district and locations like the Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jayanti, the Buxa Hills, and the Jaldapara National Park, said that they were counting on the winter season.

During the winter, a sizable number of visitors choose to go to the Dooars rather than the hills. Both government and commercial resorts were consistently booked, and reservations were even made for elephant safaris. However, the scenario has altered due to the cancelation of the train that hundreds of visitors were using, the Kanchankanya. Manab Bakshi, secretary of the Alipurduar District Tourism Association, said that the railway officials had to take the circumstances into account and proceed with the train, even if it takes a different path.

According to reports, the train was canceled due to non-interlocking work in certain locations of the Eastern Railway's Howrah division. There have also been cancellations of several other trains that connected areas such as Malda, Murshidabad, and the neighboring state of Bihar.

Because of this, there has been a sharp increase in demand for bus tickets. As a result, the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC), a state-run transportation company with its main office in Cooch Behar, has scheduled special bus service during this time.

From December 9 to December 22, we will operate special bus services from Calcutta to Siliguri and Alipurduar. If there is a need, we can set up customized buses from any point in the Dooars to Calcutta. The chairman of NBSTC, Partha Pratim Roy, said that this would assist a certain segment of travelers in reaching their destinations and having a pleasant vacation.

He said that special bus services would continue if the railroads continued to cancel the Kanchankanya Express.