Underground parking opens at Nagpur railway station's west gate; two-wheelers pay Rs 10 for two hours

Passengers arriving at Nagpur railway station can hope for some relief from congestion at the western gate. Traffic had been a problem at the gate for about four years. The station's new underground parking has been in operation since October 20.

The parking facility has been built by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA). It is the first part to open of the Rs 487.77 crore Nagpur railway station redevelopment project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project on December 11, 2022.

The underground parking took 44 months to build. It has now been handed over to the Nagpur division of Central Railway. It has separate parking for cars and two-wheelers. There is also a separate zone for dropping off and picking up passengers, where entry and exit will be controlled.

Two-wheeler parking is charged by the duration a vehicle stays. The rates are Rs 10 for up to two hours, Rs 15 for two to six hours, Rs 20 for six to 12 hours and Rs 35 for 12 to 24 hours. Beyond 24 hours, the charge is Rs 35 a day. Keeping a helmet costs Rs 5 for up to 24 hours. Payment can also be made online through a QR code.

A separate pick-up and drop facility has been built along the cement road, where entry and exit will be controlled. About 120 four-wheelers can be parked here. In this zone, the charge for a four-wheeler is Rs 50 for up to one hour and Rs 100 for one to two hours. Stopping for more than two hours is not allowed. Any vehicle doing so will be fined Rs 1,000 and towed.

The zone is only for four-wheelers. Two-wheelers and commercial passenger vehicles, namely autorickshaws, taxis, buses and minibuses, cannot enter. Under the rules, a vehicle staying longer than 120 minutes will be towed and charged a flat fine of Rs 1,000.

The underground parking has white pillars, LED lights, fire-safety pipelines and ventilation fans. Signs in white lettering on blue boards, in Marathi, Hindi and English, point to car parking, two-wheeler parking, lifts and the exit.

Separate arrows have been painted on the access road for the pick-up and drop zone, two-wheeler parking and car parking. This is meant to prevent confusion and collisions among vehicles at the gate. Long-term parking has been separated from the dropping off and picking up of passengers. It is hoped that this will improve vehicle movement around the station and make access easier for passengers.