By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 04, 2023
Agartala, Aug 04 (FD) The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to mark a historic moment by laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations nationwide, including Kumarghat, Dharma Nagar, and Udaipur in Tripura.
The ceremony, scheduled for August 6th at 11:00 AM, will be conducted via video conferencing, adding to the pre-election momentum. This initiative aims to enhance rail infrastructure and connectivity across the country.
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme has been launched recently for the development of Railway stations on Indian Railways. So far, 1309 Stations on the Indian Railways have been identified under this scheme for redevelopment.
A total of 91 NFR stations have been identified under the Amrit Bharat station scheme. The foundation stone for the redevelopment of 56 stations will be laid on August 6, 2023. Out of 56 stations, there are 32 in Assam. 03 stations in Tripura, 16 stations in West Bengal, 03 stations in Bihar, and one station each in Nagaland and Meghalaya Rs. 5100 crore has been allocated for the redevelopment of 91 stations under NFR. Out of which, 60 crores will be utilized for the redevelopment of these 56 stations.
This scheme envisages the development of stations on a continuous basis with a long-term approach. It involves the preparation of Master Plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations, like the improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lifts and escalators as necessary, cleanliness, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like 'One Station, One Product, better passenger Information systems, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc., keeping in view the necessity at each such station.
The scheme also envisages improvement of buildings, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment-friendly solutions, provision of ballast-less tracks, 'Roof Plazas' as per necessity, phasing and feasibility, and the creation of city centers at the station in the long term.