The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a proposal for the redevelopment of railway stations — New Delhi, Ahmedabad and CSMT Mumbai. With an approximate total investment of nearly Rs 10,000 crore, the stations will be equipped with modern infrastructure and better facilities to tackle heavy foot traffic of passengers.
These stations will be redeveloped using Green Building Techniques with solar energy, water conservation/recycling and improved tree cover. They will be integrated with other modes of transportation like the metro and bus, among other things. The design will also include a spacious roof plaza with all passenger amenities in one place along with spaces for retail, cafeterias, and recreational facilities.
Operational challenges
The government has set a timeline of 3.5 years for the redevelopment of the New Delhi railway station and 2.5 years for the Ahmedabad station and the CSMT Mumbai. “There will be operational challenges because the traffic at these three stations is very high. We need to make sure that these stations continue to service the traffic while the redevelopment is happening.”
The Minister, however, added that efforts would be made to complete the redevelopment in two years. “We will try to do this in two years. We will be using new technology for construction — modular construction. Once we are able to master this technology through implementation on these stations, it can be used in other projects as well in the country,” he said.
