Railway fixes 1,253 stations on redevelopment radar
Indian Railways identified over 1,253 stations for modernization across the country under the Adarsh Station Scheme based on identified need of providing better-enhanced passenger amenities. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that his ministry formulated various developmental schemes for upgradation, modernization and augmentation of stations including stations across small and big cities. The facilities envisaged in the scheme include the provision of a roof plaza/concourse wherever feasible where passengers and other users can wait comfortably and enjoy superior and well-designed amenities like lounges, recreation areas, waiting areas, seating arrangement, shopping areas, restaurants/cafeterias, tapped potable drinking water points, restrooms, WiFi, ATMs, medical facilities etc, integration with both sides of the city as far as possible. They also included the segregation of arrival and departure, lift/escalators for a comfortable movement, drop off, pick up and parking facilities for passengers. An Umbrella work costing ₹12,000 crore has been sanctioned in Budget 2021-22 and another work costing ₹5,500 crore sanctioned in Budget 2022-23 for the development of stations across Indian Railways under the Major Upgradation Scheme.
