Feb. 8: Howrah station will get separate arrival and departure areas, a lounge, a parking lot and other passenger amenities as part of a redevelopment programme planned by the railway ministry.

Rail minister Suresh Prabhu today launched the programme, which follows the public-private partnership model. Tenders are being floated for the redevelopment of 23 stations in the first phase. Howrah is the only station from Bengal on the list.

The plan is to redevelop 400 stations across the country in three phases as part of the programme.

The railway authorities want separate arrival and departure areas in the redeveloped station to eliminate the chaos that is common at all terminal stations, including Howrah.

At Howrah station, spread over 69,000sq m and with a daily average footfall of nine lakh, a train often arrives and leaves from the same platform, forcing the two sets of passengers and those with them to converge there.

An Eastern Railway official said they want separate platforms for arrival and departure with separate entry and exit.

Once selected, a private developer will appoint consultants to prepare the final design for Howrah station's redevelopment. The facade of the heritage structure would not be affected. Some internal changes would be made to the main concourse, said the official. "The space above the platforms can be used by the private developer to build floors, where several facilities such as a passenger lounge, food and beverage counters and retail outlets can be set up."

The flooring and ceiling would also be changed to give the platforms a new look, the plan suggests.

"The developer can set up a parking lot on the built floors and connect it to Bankim Setu for the convenience of passengers," said the official.

Walkalators and escalators would be the other additions at the station.

The company that redevelops a station under the programme will get railway land free of encroachment for commercial ventures.

For the developer who wins the station redevelopment contract, a 10-acre plot has been identified near Salt Gola in Howrah. The plot will be leased out for 45 years with the condition that a residential complex cannot be built on it.

The railways expects the programme to attract private investment up to Rs 1 lakh crore and generate a surplus of Rs 10,000 crore that would be used for other modernisation programmes.

In the second phase, Sealdah and Calcutta stations might taken up for redevelopment, said a railways official.

Bandel, Durgapur and Kharagpur stations are also on the list of 400 earmarked for a revamp.