The Sealdah station upgrade will add a large recreation and commercial complex with a multiplex, gaming zone, food court, retail outlets and sleeping pods for passengers, Eastern Railway officials said. The project is being developed under a 10-year contract valued at more than Rs 39 crore, including GST, at one of Kolkata’s busiest railway stations.
The Eastern Railway has contracted a firm to develop, operate and maintain the recreation zone. The complex will occupy three upper floors and a terrace, while the ground floor, which has already been developed by the railway, will remain outside the licensed area.
According to officials, the proposed facilities will include shops selling groceries and daily-use products, apparel, accessories and electronics. The complex will also have a modern gaming zone, a multiplex with entertainment options, food courts, cafeterias and outlets operated by national and international food brands.
Sleeping pods are planned to provide short-term accommodation for passengers waiting at the station. The announcement did not specify the number of pods, their tariff, the detailed multiplex configuration or the operating arrangements for individual facilities.
Rajeev Saxena, Divisional Railway Manager of the Sealdah Division, said the project would provide premium passenger facilities while improving the station’s aesthetic and functional environment. Sealdah station has a daily footfall of close to 10 lakh people, according to railway officials.
“A year’s time has been given for the execution of the contract. First, the drawing will be approved. Then they will begin construction. So, this mart will be ready approximately by next Durga Puja,” Saxena said.
The proposed centre is part of a broader effort to use high-footfall railway premises for passenger services and commercial activity. At Sealdah, the scale of the daily passenger movement means that the project will operate within an already busy station environment, where circulation, access, security and maintenance will need to be managed alongside the new retail and entertainment uses.
Officials said the project would create direct and indirect employment across retail, food and beverages, housekeeping, security, maintenance and allied services. The contract’s 10-year duration will cover the development and operation of the facility, although the source report did not provide details of the revenue-sharing arrangement or the firm selected for the project.
The next formal step is approval of the drawings. Construction is expected to begin after that approval, with railway officials indicating that the complex could be ready in about a year and approximately by the next Durga Puja.