PM Modi inaugurates redeveloped Ayodhya railway station

PTI, Dec 30, 2023, 12:15 PM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a roadshow after his arrival here and inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station.

He will also inaugurate an airport and lay the foundation stones for a slew of development projects for Uttar Pradesh.

People in large numbers who had gathered along the roadshow’s route from the airport to the railway station waved and greeted the prime minister.

Modi greeted people from his car, and at one point, opened the door of his vehicle to wave back at them. People showered flower petals and raised slogans in his praise. The prime minister also witnessed performances by cultural troupes along the route. In a post on X, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who received Modi at the airport, said, ”Hearty welcome and greetings to respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in Shri Ayodhya Dham…” The inauguration of the airport and railway station were scheduled after the roadshow.

After inaugurating the station, the prime minister took a tour of the facility. He was accompanied by Adityanath, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and others. Modi was briefed by Vaishnaw about the station. The Phase-I of the redeveloped station — Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station — has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 240 crore. The three-storey railway station building is equipped with features such as lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloak rooms, child care rooms, waiting halls. The station building will be ”accessible for all” and an ”IGBC certified green station building”.

Besides the inaugurations, Modi will flag off new Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains as well as dedicate railway projects to the nation.

Modi will participate in a public programme where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of development projects worth more than Rs 15,700 crore for Uttar Pradesh.

These include projects worth about Rs 11,100 crore for the development of ayodhya and its surrounding areas, and projects worth about Rs 4,600 crore related to other works across Uttar Pradesh.