Howrah railway station upgradation: The Ministry of Railways has planned to commission a new platform at Howrah railway station to handle rising train traffic. With this, the total number of platforms at the 173-year-old railway station will rise to 24. It is one of the oldest and largest railway stations in the country; the history of Howrah station in West Bengal dates back to 1854.
Over the years, Howrah Railway Station has undergone expansion multiple times to meet the rising demand. In 1905, six new platforms were added, increasing the total to seven. In 1984, eight more platforms were constructed, increasing the count to 15. A new terminal complex was built in 1992, along with four additional platforms. Later, in 2009, the station was further expanded, raising the total number of platforms to 23. It falls under the administrative control of Eastern Railway’s Howrah Division.
In a statement, the zonal railway said that a new platform number 24 at Howrah Terminal is set to be commissioned this month. The 635-metre-long platform number 24 will accommodate 24-coach long-distance Mail/Express trains.
It added that four more platforms are also being extended to accommodate longer trains as part of the station’s ongoing capacity expansion. The extension of existing platforms will improve accommodation of longer coach formations, thereby increasing train capacity and operational flexibility.
“At Howrah Terminal, a new 635-metre Platform No. 24 has been built at a cost of Rs 2.69 crore and is set to be commissioned by July 2026, while Platforms 10-11 and 12-13 are being extended (Rs 17.59 crore) for longer-length trains,” it added.
For the maintenance of Vande Bharat trains, the zonal railway is also undertaking a shunting-neck extension at Liluah. The project will improve connectivity to the Liluah Workshop, where a new Periodic Overhaul (POH) facility for Vande Bharat trains is being developed.
“A new Route Relay Interlocking is due for commissioning at Howrah within this fiscal, alongside yard re-modelling, and a shunting-neck extension at Liluah will also improve connectivity to Liluah Workshop for the upcoming POH facility for Vande Bharat trains,” it said.
Earlier, speaking to Indianexpress.com, Shibram Majhi, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Eastern Railway, said that several measures have been taken to reduce the waiting time of long-distance trains approaching Howrah railway station, particularly those arriving via South Eastern Railway (SER) routes.