The engineering wing of the railways has zeroed in on the site to build a third footbridge at the A1-category Tatanagar railway station.

Officials of the engineering wing said the third footbridge would be constructed 30 metres away from the existing footbridge located at the Kharagpur-end of the station.

“We have prepared a blueprint of the project which is under consideration by the divisional headquarters at Chakradharpur. The tender process for the project is expected to start next month,” said R.K. Singh, a senior official of the railway’s engineering division at Tatanagar.

He said the new footbridge which would connect all the five platforms, would share the load of the existing one.

“Therefore, we have selected the site close to the existing one so that the load of passengers is distributed. This will prevent chaos, which is usually witnessed during the arrival of trains,” Singh explained.

Sources in Chakradharpur railway division revealed that a team from South Eastern Railway was expected to inspect the site for the third footbridge.

Tatanagar railway station with five platforms is the busiest station under Chakradharpur division. It witnesses a daily movement of over 90 mail, express and other passenger trains with a footfall of over 50,000 passengers.

Station director H.K. Balmuchu on Wednesday said the second footbridge being built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore at the Chakradharpur end of the station would be inaugurated sometime in August.

“Apart from connecting the five platforms, the second footbridge will be extended till the second entry at the Burmamines end,” he said.