The Central Railway has decided to utilise the unused land on the eastern part of Nagpur railway station and develop a new ‘Home Platform’ on the lines of Kashmiri Gate in New Delhi to decongest the main entrance.

It will be developed at the Santra market side and to make it more attractive and distinct, the authorities will adorn the platform area with heritage lamp posts, lanterns, old style steel benches and old clocks which were used during pre-independence era by the Great Indian Peninsula Railways.

At present, there are seven platforms but the main entrance platform (No.1) is extremely crowded in the evening hours due to less width and circulating areas. The whole idea is to streamline people at the stretch on the western side of the station, official sources said.

Also, it will pave way for trains originating and terminating at Nagpur besides providing for arrival and departure of trains run by the South East Central Railway in future on the completion of a double line between Nagpur-Kalamna and the third line between Nagpur-Wardha.

Trains carrying passengers from Amravati, Mumbai, Pune, Bhusawal, Kolhapur, Kazipeth, Bilaspur, Tatanagar, Jabalpur and Hazrat Nizamuddin will arrive and also depart from the new platform.

Divisional Railway Manager, Nagpur division, Brijesh Dixit, said that a high-level platform of 610 m length (24 coaches) and 10.5 m width will come up by March 31.

According to sources, the platform is being developed with an initial amount of Rs one crore.

A unique ‘Car to Coach’ facility, probably the first in Railways, is at disposal throughout the platform by providing two-lane road with controlled entry and exit so that passengers can alight close to the train and board it.

The platform cover is designed using PEB and support less roof structure with colour bonded galvalume sheets to enhance the overall ambience.

Also, the DRM is soliciting the help of civic authorities in re-arrangement of Santra market side circulating area by providing enhanced parking area for cars, two-wheelers and autorickshaws.

Yesterday, Dixit and his officers had a first round meeting with Municipal Commissioner, Shyam Wardhane, and his team to remove encroachments from opposite to the gate and also to construct either a subway or a foot over-bridge for passengers at the railway station, the sources said.

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