With its goods unloading complex having been commissioned and the passenger unit to become operational by October, the Chitpur terminal is nearing completion.

The goods unloading complex, with three electricity-operated direct delivery lines extending to the pavements, was commissioned recently. The first passenger train from the terminal is likely to roll out in end-October.

?The new complex has increased the placement capacity of Chitpur yard,? said an official of the Eastern Railway (ER). The complex, along with some other transportation projects, will increase the freight earning of the ER.

The ER had loaded 42.3 million tonnes of goods traffic in 2004-05, highest ever in its history, surpassing the 40.5-million tonne target set by the Railway Board.

?The bulk of the freight comprised coal, weighing 31.8 million tonnes,? an ER spokesperson said.

There has also been around 12 per cent increase in number of passengers carried by the ER in the last financial year, compared to the year before.

According to officials, the volume of incoming freight will increase significantly following the commissioning of the Chitpur goods complex, set up at a cost of Rs 5.4 crore.

The Chitpur goods yard had been reorganised into three sub-yards ? Ultadanga, lower yard and Cossipore. ?The Ultadanga yard has been replaced by the passenger terminal building,? the official told Metro.

Earlier, goods loading and unloading had been a cumbersome process at the Ultadanga yard, where wagons had to be moved through small spurs.

?Now, a full rake of 600 metres will be pulled into the siding by an electric engine. The unloading process will be much faster and smoother,? the official added.

This will also facilitate transportation of goods from the wagons to vehicles.

From the passenger terminal, five Delhi and North Bengal-bound trains will operate initially. Officials are also planning to connect the terminal with the South Eastern Railway.

The cost of setting up the terminal has shot up from Rs 78 crore, sanctioned in the 2003-04 railway budget, to around Rs 100 crore. In the 2005-06 budget, Rs 9 crore had been allotted for the project.

Last month, the state government had decided to widen and improve Canal East Road, which will service the terminal. With Rs 11.7 crore sanctioned by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, the road will be turned into a 10-metre-wide thoroughfare.