15 railway stations including Mangaluru, undergo major upgrades; PM lays foundation stone

PTI, Aug 6, 2023, 11:38 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country via video conferencing.

These 508 stations are spread across 27 states and union territories, including 55 each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, 49 in Bihar, 44 in Maharashtra, 37 in West Bengal, 34 in Madhya Pradesh, 32 in Assam, 25 in Odisha, 22 in Punjab, 21 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

Besides 15 stations are in Haryana and 13 in Karnataka.

fifteen railway stations in Karnataka, including Mangaluru, Araseikere, and Harihar, are undergoing substantial upgrades to enhance their facilities and services. Under this ambitious project, Mangalore Junction railway station at Padil in Mangalore is set to undergo development at an estimated cost of Rs 19.32 crore.

The upgrade projects were inaugurated in the presence of prominent dignitaries, including MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA Vedavyasa Kamath, Dr. Y Bharat Shetty, Bhagirathi Murulya, Legislative Council Members Kota Srinivas Pujari, and Pratap Sinmha Naik.

Furthermore, Araseekere railway station is set to receive funding of Rs 34.13 crores for various works, including the construction of a new station building, entry and exit arch, drainage and rainwater harvesting system, and tiles on the edge of platforms. Similarly, Harihara will be granted Rs 25.21 crores for improvement works, with 12 initiatives planned, such as the construction of a new booking office and restrooms, and the provision of roofing along the platforms.

The redevelopment, which will cost Rs 24,470 crore, will provide modern passenger amenities along with ensuring well designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and well designed signage for guidance of passengers, the PMO had said in a statement, adding that the design of station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture.

Noting that Modi has often laid stress on provision of state-of-the-art public transport and that railways is the preferred mode of transport of people, the PMO had said he has prioritised the importance of providing world-class amenities at railway stations. Guided by this vision, the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’ was launched to redevelop 1,309 stations, it said. As part of this scheme, the foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 stations was laid by the prime minister.