PATNA, Aug. 21 -- Ahead of PM's visit, the Danapur division of East Central Railway got 2.755 acres of land from the Post and Telegraph (P&T) department, valued at Rs.80 crore, located near the Hardinge Park. This land will be used in accelerating the ongoing construction of a state-of-the-art suburban terminal near the Patna Junction. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid its foundation stone on May 30. Talking with HT, the ADRM (Operation) Aadhar Raj confirmed that the land transfer was finalised during a high-level meeting held in Patna with the officials of state government, revenue department, Indian Railways and P&T department chaired by chief secretary Amrit Lal Meena. As part of the agreement, the Indian Railways will provide the P&T department with land of equivalent value at an alternate location. "The newly acquired land will enable the railways to extend platform lengths up to 600 meters, allowing to accommodate 22-coach premier trains such as Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat Express in future. Earlier, the capacity of the platform under construction was 16 coaches, which will now be able to accommodate 22 LHB coaches. These trains will be maintained at the under-construction Patliputra Coaching Complex. The new terminal will feature five modern platforms equipped with cab way facilities, an advanced alternative to traditional foot over bridges," said Aadhar Raj. The railways was earlier developing the suburban terminal facility on 4.8 acre land at Hardinge Park which will have a direct underground connectivity to the multi-level hub near the GPO and Patna Junction metro. With the acquisition of additional land the project will get more space. In another significant decision, the railways has got approval from the state govt regarding land acquisition required for the construction of third and fourth rail lines on key routes. Under the plan, the railways will construct third and fourth lines between Deen Dayal Upadhya Junction and Patna, and a third line between Rajendra Nagar Terminal and Fatuha. However, the state has also agreed to construct an elevated road between Gulzarbagh and Patna Sahib on the northern side of the tracks. This will pave the way for seamless expansion of the third railway line along this stretch, while the railways is already building a fourth line on the Neora-Jat Dumri-Daniyawan-Fatuha route linking it directly to Kiul-Jhajha rail section. The ADRM said these developments would enhance rail capacity, decongesting existing terminals and improving passenger convenience. This development also has historical significance. The railway land for the terminal project was provided by the Bihar government in exchange for the land used to build Atal Path, which now runs along the former Digha-Patna rail route initiated during the tenure of former rail minister Lalu Prasad....