On August 6, i.e Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be virtually laying the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country.
According to a railways official, “This will be a historic move as this is the first time that a program of laying the foundation stone of such a huge number of stations is being conducted.”
The railway officials said that the government aims to complete the work of these stations by 2025. A senior official also said,“Our internal target to complete redevelopment at these stations is by 2025,”.
The redevelopment work is being done under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’ and the cost of the redevelopment is projected at Rs.24,470 crore.
The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme that was launched in February, 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.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union railway minister, said that the development of these stations is a major focus of the government. He said, “Our prime minister is personally monitoring the progress of these railway stations. He has given inputs in designs of these stations and will be laying the foundation of these 508 stations.”
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 and 13 in Karnataka.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said,“It is aimed to provide modern passenger amenities along with ensuring well-designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and well-designed signage for guidance of passengers.” It also added that the design of these station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage, and architecture.
