Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually lay the foundation stones for the redevelopment of 11 stations in Assam, out of a total of 23 stations under the aegis of the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway, on Monday.
The 11 stations to be redeveloped in Assam are: Haibargaon, Gohpur, Harmuti, Majbat, Pathshala, Tangla, Udalguri, Biswanath Chariali, Murkongselek, North Lakhimpur, and Silapathar.
The stations are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and under the jurisdiction of N. F. Railway, foundation stone for 23 railway stations, 6 road under bridges and 2 road over bridges, is scheduled to be laid by PM Modi through video conferencing.
This was stated by NF Railway additional general manager Ravilesh Kumar in front of mediapersons today. He said this will be a big programme, and people will come to know what the government is doing for them. He also stated that all Chief Ministers, Governors, and MLAs of all the states concerned will be physically present at the event.
Tomorrow’s event will be a major step towards realising PM Modi’s emphasis on the importance of providing world-class amenities at railway stations, Kumar stated. Assam will have two world-class stations—at Kamakhya in Guwahati and Silchar in the Barak Valley. These were announced earlier, and work is going on at these places, he said.
Overall, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 554 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme on Monday. These stations, spread across 27 states and Union Territories, will be redeveloped at a cost of over Rs. 19,000 crore.
Kumar also stated that these stations will act as ‘city centres’ integrating both sides of the city, as the population in cities is on both sides of the railway tracks as urbanization has increased and cities have grown in size. There will be separate entry and exit points, as is the norm in foreign countries.
The upgraded stations will have modern passenger amenities like a roof plaza, beautiful landscaping, inter-modal connectivity, an improved modern façade, a kids play area, kiosks, food courts, etc. These stations will be redeveloped to be environmentally friendly as well as Divyang-friendly. The design of these station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage, and architecture.
An attempt is being made to use the land in the stations commercially, and malls will be constructed to provide amenities to passengers and revenue to the railways, the AGM said. Airport-like facilities will be available at railway stations, Kumar said. He also stressed that all trains in Assam will run on electric power by July this year. He said 50% of trains in Assam are already running on electric power, with around 30% more partially operating on electricity at present.
Also read: Guwahati Railway Station to be revamped with Rs 400 crore
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