North Bengal is yet to get a major infrastructure boost as the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has taken up the task to modernise the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) railway junction, the the largest station of this region and the busiest of the NFR zone.

According to railway sources, NJP is one of the 204 stations of the country identified by the Centre for an upgrade, with world-class features for passenger comfort.

“A sum of Rs 334.72 crore would be spent for the modernisation of the station. The work has already commenced. Shifting of ticket counters, the MCO (movement control office of defence forces), the parcel and RMS offices have started. Soon, the existing parking area will also be shifted to a new location. There is a plan to finish the work by 2025,” said Sabyasachi De, the chief public relation officer of NFR.

NJP, which is located on the southern end of Siliguri, is among the top 100 stations of India in terms of railway bookings. Every day, around 70 pairs of trains move through the station and as many as 36,000 passengers use the station on any average day.

“Once the upgrade is done, the station with its new infrastructure would be able to handle over 70,000 passengers per day,” said a source.

The new station will have modern facilities like a large covered parking area, roundthe-clock power backup, drinking water facilities, an air-conditioned lobby, spaces for offices and shops, highspeed escalators, lifts and space for hotels.

“The idea is to provide an airport-like feel and comfort to passengers. There will be a central air concourse, 72-metre-long and 82-metre-wide, to minimise congestion in the station, along with a green area,” the source added.

The station, which also has the narrow gauge track of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) — on the list of Unesco world heritage sites — will also have new foot over-bridges and separate arrival and departure lobbies.

“The station will also have dedicated pick-up and drop spaces. Also, adequate space would be provided for the parking of various vehicles. We hope the state government will cooperate with us so that we can execute the project,” said a railway official.

The announcement by the NFR to upgrade the station received a hearty welcome from the business fraternity of this region, including stakeholders of the tourism industry.

“We welcome the decision. An upgrade of the NJP station would surely give the local economy a boost and contribute to the development of the tourism sector, which is a major industry in our region,” said Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network.

In recent times, this is the third major decision made by the Centre to improve infrastructure for better connectivity in the region.

A couple of weeks back, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari initiated the work of a 13-kilometre-long, four-lane road to connect the northeast and northwest ends of Siliguri via Darjeeling More.

Earlier this year, the Centre announced starting work for the expansion of the Bagdogra airport.