Bridge to ease station rush

Jamshedpur, Dec. 28: Negotiating the crowds at Tatanagar railway station will soon become easier, thanks to a proposed footbridge that will take the load off the existing one.

“The proposal for a second footbridge has been forwarded to the Railway Board for approval. It would cost around Rs 3.5 crore,” said a senior official of Chakradharpur. According to him, the project will get the official nod soon.

Tatanagar station manager A.K. Agarwal admitted that managing the crowds during arrival and departure of trains was an impossible job. “The second footbridge is a must as the existing one is unable to handle traffic during peak hours. Moreover, there is no possibility of widening the existing bridge,” he said, adding that the proposed footbridge would connect all five platforms.

Tatanagar railway station witnesses an average 60,000 footfalls daily, the biggest passenger load after Howrah in the South Eastern Railway (SER) division.

Thirty pairs of mail/express and superfast trains either originate at or pass through Tatanagar daily, along with 14 passenger trains.

The second footbridge at Tatanagar also figured in the list of demands put forward by the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), a leading trade body of Kolhan region.

“On several occasions in the past we had put forth the demand for a second bridge for the convenience of passengers. We had also requested the railways to convert the old road bridge into a footbridge,” said Suresh Sonthalia, general secretary of SCCI. The dilapidated old road bridge was abandoned more than four years ago.

Railway officials said the second footbridge was part of its expansion and renovation drive. Last year, South Eastern Railways had approved funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore to provide this model station with a facelift.

The Chakradharpur division also has several plans up its sleeves. Officials revealed that efforts were on to reopen the food plaza and renovate the food stalls owned by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation on different platforms.