PM Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off work on an ambitious Rs 24,470 crore project to redevelop 508 railway stations across India in a mega infrastructure push to spur growth and provide better facilities for passengers.
“The nation is progressing towards development as it is entering Amrit Kaal, characterized by new energy, inspiration, and resolutions. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Indian Railways,” PM Modi said in his video address at the function for laying the foundation stone of the project.
The initiative reflects India’s commitment to enhancing its infrastructure and transportation networks to meet the demands of a growing and aspiring nation.
PM Modi said, “Around 1300 major railway stations in India will now be developed as Amrit Bharat Railway Stations. Of these, work on the redevelopment of 508 Amrit Bharat Railway Stations begins today. Around Rs 25,000 crores will be spent on the redevelopment of these 508 Amrit Bharat Stations. You can imagine how big a drive this will be for the infrastructure, railways and most importantly for the common people of my country.”
The Prime Minister said his government has risen above vote bank politics and was going ahead with the development of the entire country.
He attacked the Opposition for following the path of negative politics and staying “stuck to its old ways” with an attitude of “na kaam karenge, na karne denge (won’t work, won’t let work)”.
He said that the Railways is called the lifeline of our country, the identity of an Indian city is connected to its railway station. “Each ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ will become a symbol of its city’s modern aspirations and ancient heritage,” PM Modi explained.
The Prime Minister emphasised on the importance of providing world class amenities at railway stations. Guided by this vision, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was launched to redevelop 1,309 stations across the country and the redevelopment of the 508 stations are being taken up as the first phase of this scheme.
PM Shri @narendramodi lays foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 railway stations in 27 states and UTs.#AmritBharatStations https://t.co/IkSu5xn4Jy
— BJP (@BJP4India) August 6, 2023
These 508 stations are spread across 27 states and union territories, including 55 each 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 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 15 in Haryana, 13 in Karnataka among others, the PMO statement said.
“ Master Plans are being prepared for development of these stations as ‘City Centres’, with proper integration of both sides of the city. This integrated approach is driven by the holistic vision of overall urban development of the city, centred around the railway station,” PM Modi explained.
The redevelopment will provide modern passenger amenities along with ensuring well designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and well-designed signage for guidance of passengers.
The design of the station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture in accordance with the Prime Minister’s vision of combining both tradition and modernity as part of a balanced approach to progress.
The scheme will focus on building world class infrastructure which would include multilevel parking, separate exit and entry gates, executive lounges, waiting rooms, CCTV, lift and escalators, free Wi-Fi, roof plaza, shopping complexes and food courts.
The infrastructure will be made more inclusive with the amenities for Divyangjans including braille signs.
