NEW DELHI: In a bid to modernise railway stations as part of green development project, the government on Wednesday cleared the redevelopment plan of country's three major railway stations -- New Delhi Railway station, Ahmedabad Railway station and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) of Mumbai. The project has been estimated an investment of approximately Rs 10,000 crore.
Announcing the decision after the Cabinet meeting, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw told the media that Union Cabinet has approved Indian Railways’ proposal for the redevelopment of three major railway stations such as New Delhi, Ahmedabad and CSMT of Mumbai. "The projects, which aim to modernise railways and ease travel, involve an investment of approximately Rs 10,000 crore," he said.
Explaining the redevelopment plan, especially for Ahmedabad railway station and CSMT, the minister also said, "Ahmedabad station redesign was inspired by Modera's Sun temple, while CSMT's heritage building won't be touched but buildings nearby will be redeveloped”, he said.
Focusing on the employment front, Vaishnaw said the redevelopment projects whose tenders should be out in 10 days, will result in creation of more than 35,000 jobs and will improve the daily experience of more than 2 million passengers. "The redevelopment projects are estimated to take 2.5 to 3.5 years and will use modular technology. The stations will be developed under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Model," he said.
However, an official statement issued by the government said that there are about 13 standard elements of station design for modernisation of the railway projects. "The master plan has been prepared for smooth movement of traffic, with adequate parking facilities. The green building techniques will also be used, with solar energy, water conservation/recycling and improved tree cover," it said.
For passengers' facilities, it also said that every station will have a spacious roof plaza (36/72/108 m) with all passenger amenities at one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, recreational facilities. "Both sides of the city will be connected with the station, with the station building on both sides of Railway tracks. Facilities like food court, waiting lounge, playing area for children, place for local products, etc will be available. There will be integration with other modes of transportation like metro, bus etc," it added.
