Chandigarh architecture college faculty, students to refurbish Ambala, Shimla railway stations
While the Ambala divisional railway station will be completely rebuilt, the Shimla station — which lies on the Kalka-Shimla railway line, a Unesco world heritage site — will be refurbished without tampering with its basic look.
The Chandigarh College of Architecture (CCA) has been tasked with refurbishing two of the oldest railway stations in the northern region.
While the Ambala divisional railway station will be completely rebuilt, the Shimla station — which lies on the Kalka-Shimla railway line, a Unesco world heritage site — will be refurbished without tampering with its basic look.
The northern railway planning board has already approved the proposal with regard to the Ambala railway station and the process is on for the Shimla station.
In fact, after seeing the presentation regarding the Shimla railway station, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal has given his nod, said sources, adding that it will now be shown to the board on Tuesday for procedural approval.
‘To begin within a month’
The project coordinator and CCA dean academics, Sohan Lal Saharan, said: “The Union ministry had itself approached the college for rebuilding and refurbishing the two important railway stations in the north of Delhi. The first phase of rebuilding the Ambala railway station will begin in a month after approvals.”
The first phase will include upgrading the toilets, waiting rooms and platforms besides setting up solid waste management system in the new block. CCA students have visited the station to prepare sketches and figure out the spots to install dustbins and drinking water kiosks.
“The second and third phases will include rebuilding the facade,” said Saharan.
The Ambala railway station is the divisional headquarters of the northern railway zone. The Delhi-Panipat-Ambala-Kalka railway line dates back to 1889 and the Ambala railway station is connected to major cities, including Jammu, Amritsar, Panipat, Lucknow, Kanpur, Patna, Mumbai, Jaipur and Chennai.
Gaurav, a CCA student who is part of the team rebuilding the Ambala station, said: “The railway station will be given a modern look infused with colonial architecture. Also the main gate will be turned into a grand entrance besides refurbishing the other two gates.”
‘Time-bound projects’
Meanwhile, at the Shimla railway station, the CCA team will be working on “local architectural vocabulary”, wherein the railway station’s architecture will be synchronised with the city’s architectural marvels.
“The new look will be a blend of the British architecture and the traditional Dhajji style,” said Gurkirat Singh, a fourth-year student and member of the team.
Explaining the Dhajji style, Gurkirat said it uses both wooden logs and stones. Local furniture will also be used to deck up the station that was opened in 1903 at an altitude of 6,844 feet above mean sea level.
“Both projects are time-bound and likely to be completed in the next four to five months,” said Saharan.
Sources that as both Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments, the railway projects will be completed in the next five months, keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.