Siliguri’s Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus has added separate passenger dormitories and a 100-seat lounge ahead of the festive travel season, as the state transport department prepares for an anticipated rise in tourist and intercity traffic across north Bengal.
The new facilities at the terminus were developed by the state-run North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) and inaugurated on Monday by Anandamay Barman, the minister of state for transport and finance. The additions are intended to give passengers a place to rest during long journeys, waiting periods and breaks between bus services.
The dormitory has 14 beds for male passengers and six beds for female passengers. A passenger will be charged ₹300 for a 12-hour stay. The separate accommodation is expected to provide a short-stay option for travellers who arrive in Siliguri before their onward bus or need to wait between connections.
The lounge, which can accommodate around 100 passengers, will charge ₹20 per hour. It is designed for travellers seeking a shorter rest period without booking a dormitory. The facilities are located within the Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus, an older transport facility that serves as an important departure point for journeys into the hills, forests and other destinations in north Bengal.
“Despite the terminus being an old facility, we have planned to introduce more amenities for passengers here,” Barman said at the inauguration. The department did not provide a broader timeline for additional improvements at the terminus.
The facilities are being introduced before the Durga Puja and other festive travel periods, when Siliguri is expected to see increased movement of tourists heading towards the region’s mountainous landscapes, forests, wildlife destinations, pilgrimage sites and heritage locations. The terminus is also expected to support the NBSTC’s planned expansion of packaged bus tours from the city.
The corporation is preparing special two-day tourist packages from Siliguri in consultation with professional tour operators. One proposed route could cover Jaldhaka and Bindu, along with forest destinations in the Dooars such as Lataguri, Gorumara National Park and Gajoldoba. Another planned two-day itinerary would travel to Jaldapara National Park, include an overnight stay and a wildlife safari, and cover Chilapata forest, Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jayanti.
The NBSTC is also considering daylong excursions from Siliguri to Mungpoo, Samsing and Suntalekhola, as well as a trip to Mirik. The proposed packages are likely to be introduced during Durga Puja and other festive seasons, although the corporation has not yet announced final fares, schedules or launch dates.
The new dormitories and lounge therefore form part of a wider effort to improve the passenger experience at Siliguri’s main bus terminus while the transport corporation develops more tourism-linked services. The next confirmed step is the finalisation of the proposed tour packages in consultation with professional operators before their possible festive-season launch.
