Howrah Station selected for revamp and get a new look

Howrah Station has been elected for revamp by the railway ministry. Rail minister Suresh Prabhu has launched the program and 23 stations have been selected in the first phase - Howrah is the only station from Bengal on the list. It will get separate arrival and departure areas, a lounge, a parking lot and other passenger amenities. IT isa part of redevelopment of 400 stations across the country in three phases.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 9 February 2017.

There would be separate arrival and departure areas in the redeveloped station and it is expected to eliminate the chaos that is usually seen at all terminal stations. The Howrah station occupies an area of 69,000sq m and sees a daily average footfall of nine lakh. Trains often arrives and leaves from the same platform, thereby there are two sets of passengers.
There would be separate platforms for arrival and departure with separate entry and exit to streamline this aspect. Moreover, the flooring and ceiling would undergo changes to impart a new look and there would be aalkalators and escalators.


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Howrah Station to have executive lounge for transit passengers by December

Come December and transit passengers arriving at Howrah station can just book space in the executive lounge being constructed within the station (old complex). They need not book into any hotel for a few hours to relax, freshen up and have meals before proceeding to his destination in the city for his work or taking a train to another destination.
New Delhi and Jaipur already have such facilities and, once complete, this lounge will be the first in eastern India.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 September 2016.

The lounge will be built on 259 metres and be equipped with all modern amenities. The initial charge for two hours will be between Rs 100 and Rs 150 and, passengers can extend their stay by paying an additional Rs 50 per hour or part thereof.
The proposed facilities would include recliners on which passengers can relax, watch television and read books, magazines of newspapers from a well-stocked library. There will be access to Wi-Fi. Fresh towels and toilet kits will be provided for a small charge. Breakfast will cost Rs 100-150, buffet lunch and dinner will be between Rs 200 and Rs 250.
Entry to children below three feet in height will be free.


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Howrah and Sealdah stations are in the bottom 10 list of clean stations

Howrah and Sealdah stations in Kolkata are among the country's largest and busiest railway stations and have been ranked in the bottom 10 out of 32 used by more than 50,000 passengers daily. CST Mumbai and Chennai Central, which are in the same category, have been ranked in the top 10.
Nearly 8.5 lakh people use Howrah station each day while Sealdah handles about 12 lakh and, in comparison, CST Mumbai receives more than 15 lakh passengers every day and yet stays much cleaner.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 28 July 2016.

Howrah and Sealdah have been ranked "average" in a survey on cleanliness conducted by the railways across 407 stations. Out of the 407 stations surveyed, Howrah ranks 275, Sealdah is 346 and Kolkata station 131. CST Mumbai, which receives more footfall than Sealdah and Howrah, has been ranked 129 while Chennai Central stands eight notches higher at 121.
It has been revealed that both Howrah and Sealdah stations have dirty washrooms and the platforms are often littered with trash. Moreover, parcels of fish are ferried through the new terminal at Howrah station and water seeping out of them makes the platforms filthy. Also, scores of hawkers selling vegetables squat inside the subway that lead to the bus terminus from the old terminal - as a result, the area is dirtied.
Same for Sealdah - here also, much of the fish and vegetables arriving at the markets come through this station. The parameters used for the survey were cleanliness of ticketed areas, non-ticketed areas, toilets and waste management and the survey was commissioned by the Railway Board and conducted by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) along with a private agency.


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Rs 30-crore plan to beautify Howrah Station Complex

A beautification project is on the cards for the Howrah Station complex which is the entry point to Kolkata for those arriving by train. It would be a Rs 30-crore project and will be taken up by the state transport department along with Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC). The plan is to convert the Howrah station complex into a Comprehensive Development Zone.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated4 July 2016.

The Howrah Station complex lies in a total mess. The frontage of the Ganges River is blocked from view with a string of dilapidated buildings and, while the hawker menace has abated a bit, the subway continues to remain occupied during the morning and evening rush hours.
The roads in front of the new and old station complex are in bad condition - they are broken and potholed. The parking lot stands on a fallow land with a huge crater right at the point of entry. There had been plans to develop it into a park with a cafeteria complete with a bust of Tagore. That has not yet materialized.
Moreover, the Howrah bus stand for long distance buses has broken platforms and rundown sheds and needs to be repaired and renovated. Additionally, the stand is overrun with hawkers who make it difficult for commuters to board the buses. Plans to renovate and develop the Howrah bus stand is a part of this project.


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