MPs want one more rail terminal

The Parliamentary standing committee on Railways has recommended setting up of a new passenger terminal at Majherhat in Kolkata to reduce load on Howrah and Sealdah.

The committee, headed by Basudeb Acharya of the Left Front, said a proposal has been sent by the state government and the standing committee to set up the terminal and a bridge over the existing rail-line there.

The investment for the project would be around Rs 1,600 crore, Acharya said here today. "We have suggested to Railways that the project should be included in the next budget with sizable allocation. The terminal will facilitate trains of South-eastern Railway," he added.

The announcement comes at a time when work on three other terminals in and around Kolkata is yet to kick off, owing to the problem of traffic dispersal. The terminals at Chitpur and Padmapukur are yet to come up as the state government has expressed its inability to develop or fund infrastructure for traffic dispersal.

Two platforms have been set up in Shalimar but they are under-utilised. The station is to be expanded to eight platforms but the critical issue of connectivity with Kolkata and Howrah remains unresolved. "We The committee will speak to both the Railways and state government," Acharya noted.

He demanded the Railways must take up at least 30 projects of the state on priority basis.

These include a circular railway line connecting New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Alipur Duar and Coochbehar.

The standing committee will also recommend double line connectivity to Haldia to facilitate cargo movement.

A proposal has also been sent to restore the Jiagunj-Ajimgunj line and bridge over river Bhagirathi in Murshidabad.

To promote tourism in the Mukutmanipur area of Bankura, better rail connectivity has been proposed for Bankura town.