India, Sept. 26 -- Begunkodar, a remote town in West Bengal's Purulia, got a major connectivity boost in 1965 with the opening of a railway station. But the joy for the townspeople was short-lived. The station was abandoned within two years of its inauguration for the next four decades, as rumours of it being "haunted" gained currency. No trains halted even during the day, and railway employees refused to work at the Begunkodar station.

"There were no ghosts. They were all rumours. The situation has changed. Around a dozen trains, including express trains, stop here. The last train stops around 11pm, and villagers get down even at that hour," said Amulya Mahato, 64, who has been manning the station's ticket counter since 2009.

Nayan Muk...