Indian Railways has leased recovered land at Nungi station in the Sealdah South suburban network for an organised parking facility and a mini market, combining station-access improvements with a plan to generate long-term revenue from railway property.
The move follows a wider effort by Eastern Railway to reclaim occupied land at stations in the Howrah and Sealdah divisions. According to railway authorities, several plots were recovered after action against encroachments and informal commercial activity around station premises. The newly recovered land is now being brought under planned use rather than being left as unstructured open space.
At Nungi station, 16,665 square feet has been earmarked for an organised parking facility. The railway has leased the plot under a three-year agreement, which is expected to generate more than Rs 75 lakh over the full contract period. The parking proposal is also intended to bring greater order to the station entrance, where the railway has said it plans a more structured development of the access area.
A separate 5,840-square-foot plot near the station has been allocated for a mini market. A private company has entered into an agreement with the railway for the market’s construction, management and maintenance. The annual contract value, excluding service tax, is Rs 6.10 lakh. Over the 10-year term, the railway’s total receipt, including service tax, is expected to be Rs 96,71,152.
The mini market is scheduled to begin operations on 23 January 2027. The project is designed to provide space for local commercial activity close to the station while giving the railway a recurring income stream from land that had previously been recovered from occupation. Railway authorities have said such projects could support local business activity in addition to improving the use of railway assets.
The station is also being considered for passenger-service improvements under a station development plan. A proposal has been made for the construction of a modern, usable public toilet, although the report does not specify the project’s cost, construction schedule or implementation agency.
Nungi is not the only station where Eastern Railway is pursuing this model. At Sandalia station on the Sealdah–Hasnabad section, the railway has signed a 10-year agreement for a 5,000-square-foot mini market. The private agency will be responsible for construction, operation and maintenance. The annual contract value, excluding service tax, is Rs 4.03 lakh, while the total value of the 10-year agreement, including service tax, is expected to be Rs 63,89,302.
The initiatives point to a shift in how railway land around suburban stations is being managed: plots recovered through anti-encroachment action are being assigned to formal parking, retail and passenger-service uses through time-bound agreements. The immediate implementation milestones are the planned opening of the Nungi mini market on 23 January 2027 and the execution of the contracted parking and market facilities at the two stations.
