Construction work begins to build suburban terminal at Hardinge Park

Patna: The railways have finalised preparations to begin construction of a state-of-the-art suburban terminal at Hardinge Park, with an estimated cost of Rs 95 crore, following the foundation laying ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30. Danapur divisional railway manager (DRM) Jayant Kumar Choudhary said the suburban terminal will come up on a sprawling 4.8-acre land at the Hardinge Park area which will help decongest the huge traffic load from Patna Junction.According to Choudhary, the new suburban terminal is envisioned as a modern transportation hub, featuring airport-like facilities. It will have five platforms, each initially 400 metres in length.

"However, efforts are underway to acquire an additional 2.5 acres of land from the Posts and Telegraph (P&T) department to extend the platform lengths to 600 metres. This extension will enable the terminal to accommodate and handle mail and express trains with LHB coaches," he said.

The suburban terminal is strategically significant due to its location on the Kiul-Patna-DDU route, which is currently undergoing capacity augmentation with the addition of third and fourth lines in the days to come.

"Once operational, the terminal will serve as a dedicated hub for passenger trains, including MEMUs," the DRM said.The railways has worked out a plan to make at least 80 passenger trains operational daily from Hardinge Park suburban terminal, connecting passengers to all four cardinal directions — north, south, east and west. "The new terminal will primarily serve as a launch point for intercity and regional trains, offering punctuality and better services," Choudhary said, adding that the terminal will boast a range of modern facilities like a 2,000-seat waiting hall equipped with modern amenities.In addition, 15 general ticket-booking counters will be there to streamline ticketing and reduce waiting time. A parking facility, with a capacity of 1,000 vehicles, will be developed around the suburban terminal area. Direct connectivity to the newly built multimedia hub and the upcoming Patna Metro Rail service will be provided to allow seamless intermodal travel for passengers.