91 stations under NFR to be re-developed, PM Modi to launch initiative

Guwahati, Aug 5 (IANS) At least 91 stations under Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) will be re-developed under a central government initiative called ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ Scheme, officials said on Saturday.

An official statement from the NFR said, the foundation stone for re-development of 56 stations will be laid on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Of the 56 stations, 32 are in Assam, 3 in Tripura, 16 in West Bengal, 3 in Bihar and one each in Nagaland and Meghalaya.

“Rs 5100 crore has been allocated for the re-development of 91 stations under NFR. Of which Rs 1960 crore will be utilised for re-development of these 56 stations,” an officer of the NFR said.

According to the official statement, the scheme envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with a long-term approach.

It involves preparation of Master Plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift, escalators, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, better passenger information systems, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping etc. keeping in view the necessity at each such station.

“Improvement of building, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for specially-abled persons, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballast less tracks, Roof Plazas as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centers at the station in the long term are also included in the scheme,” the officer added.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to lay the foundation stones for re-development of 508 stations under ‘Amrit Bharat Scheme’ across the country on Sunday.