Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi laid the groundwork for the reconstruction of 508 railway stations around the country. The stations are being refurbished at a cost of US$ 2.95 billion (Rs. 24,470 crore) to expand passenger capacity, promote employment development, and serve as the city centre.
According to the railway ministry, the 508 stations are spread across 27 states and union territories, including 55 in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, 49 in Bihar, 44 in Maharashtra, 37 in West Bengal, 34 in Madhya Pradesh, 32 in Assam, 25 in Odisha, 22 in Punjab, 21 in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 15 in Haryana, and 13 in Karnataka. The reconstruction will provide modern passenger facilities while also assuring well-designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration, and passenger guide signage.
According to the railway ministry, the design of the station buildings would be influenced by local culture, heritage, and architecture. The refurbishment is being carried out as part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which was conceptualised earlier this year with the goal of modernising around 1,300 stations.
Mr. Narendra Modi said, "With time, railway stations have become the heart of cities. That’s why it’s important that railway stations are modernised, and the area is utilised optimally”.
Union Railways Minister, Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the goal is to give world-class train services and "dignity of travel" to every person.
The Prime Minister also stated that “India has laid down more rail tracks than the entire rail networks of countries like South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia in the previous year alone”. He also pointed out that “Locomotive production has increased by nine times under our administration, while LHB coach production has increased by five times”. He further added that the partial commissioning of the eastern and western dedicated freight corridors has reduced travel time for goods trains on many routes by 40%, and that movement of goods from the national capital region to Western Ports has been reduced to 24 hours from 72 hours previously.
"In a few years, all trains in India will run on electricity," Mr. Modi added, referring to the Centre's goal of electrifying all railroads by the end of the current fiscal year. Currently, solar energy is used to power over 1,200 stations. Mr. Modi stated that all Amrit Bharat stations will be renovated in accordance with green development principles.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
