Calcutta, Jan. 1: Howrah station will be upgraded to “global standards” and a third terminal will be built only for suburban trains, railway officials said on Monday.

The revamped station, according to a preliminary plan, will have an underground car park, shopping malls, restaurants and other “state-of-the art” facilities.

Passengers will enter the station building through the first floor and go down to the ground floor by an elevator or escalator. “This will help avoid congestion,” said an official.

“The Railway Board has floated global tenders to appoint consultants and the upgrade plan is expected to be ready in a year,” said N.K. Goel, the general manager of Eastern Railway.

The project is likely to cost Rs 400 crore and will take five years to be complete. Three consultants will be appointed to look after the legal, financial and design aspects.

“Decongestion is also the motive for building the third terminal, which will come up on a vacant plot between the new complex and the railway museum,” said Goel.

Officials said the new terminal will have 12 to 15 platforms. Once it is operational, the main terminal will be used for long-distance trains only.

Howrah is one of the 22 stations in the country that the railway ministry wants to upgrade to global standards.

Six stations — including Howrah, New Delhi, Patna and Bhubaneswar — will be taken up in the first phase.

More than 300 pairs of long-distance and suburban trains arrive at or leave Howrah station every day. The average daily footfall is 10 lakh.

With the passenger count set to rise by five per cent every year, officials fear the station will soon be saturated unless a dedicated terminal for suburban trains is set up.

“We also need longer platforms to accommodate 24-coach trains. All long-distance trains will comprise 24 compartments, instead of 22,” said an Eastern Railway official.

Of the 21 platforms at Howrah, only five are long enough for a 24-coach train.