PM Modi to unveil another mega railway project! Stage set for over 500 Amrit Bharat stations with advance facilities

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was initiated for the development of stations on Indian Railways. (Image: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the foundation stone laying ceremony on February 26 for the construction of 550 Amrit Bharat stations. The move is aimed at enhancing the railway station facilities by developing rooftop plazas and city centers at a total cost of Rs 40,000 crore, a report by PTI said. Additionally, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for nearly 1,500 road overbridges and underbridges across various states during a virtual event that will be broadcasted at over 2,000 railway stations. The PM will join the function via video conferencing.

Furthermore, prizes will be awarded to approximately 50,000 school students who participated in speech, essay, and poetry writing competitions on the theme “2047 – Viksit Bharat ki Railway,” organized by Indian Railways across 4,000 schools. Approximately four lakh students participated in various competitions, and about 50,000 prizes will be distributed by divisional railway managers and senior railway officers during the event.

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Upgrading Amrit Bharat Railway Stations

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was initiated for the development of stations on Indian Railways. It involves creating master plans and implementing them in phases to enhance station amenities, including improving station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators, cleanliness, free WiFi, and kiosks for local products under schemes like ‘One Station, One Product.’

The scheme also includes constructing executive lounges, designated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, and integrating stations with surrounding cities. Additionally, it aims to provide amenities for persons with disabilities, ballastless tracks, roof plazas, phased and feasible development, and city centers at stations in the long term.

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The scheme prioritizes sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, proposes road widening, removal of unwanted structures, well-designed signages, dedicated pedestrian pathways, planned parking areas, improved lighting, and high-level platforms at all station categories, with a standard platform length of 600 meters.

Currently, 1,318 stations have been selected under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme based on proposals received from zonal railways, focusing on stations in major cities and towns.

(With PTI Inputs)