Ambala Division to revamp Shimla railway station under Amrit Bharat scheme
The railways will carry out several modernisation works at the station ‘as place of tourist importance’ with an initial fund of ₹13.51 crore in the first phase, divisional railway manager (DRM) Mandeep Singh Bhatia said
: The Ambala Railway Division is set to begin redevelopment work at the Shimla railway station, a UNESCO world heritage, under the Union Government’s Amrit Bharat Stations scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 3.
The railways will carry out several modernisation works at the station ‘as place of tourist importance’ with an initial fund of ₹13.51 crore in the first phase, divisional railway manager (DRM) Mandeep Singh Bhatia said.
“Estimates are also being prepared to improve the structure of 17 stations on the Kalka-Shimla rail line, a UNESCO protected site. The section suffered severe damage during this monsoon, but we were able to resume services fully earlier this month,” Bhatia told HT.
Officials said that the scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve amenities at the stations like clean toilets, lifts, 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.
Improving civil and electrical works will cover improved parking space, waiting areas, refreshment counters, coach guidance system and others, they said.
The DRM said that this will overall include creation of facilities for the comfort of passengers, cleanliness and soft up-gradation of the building structure, improvement in height and entry gate with proper lighting.
The division is already undertaking modernisation works at 15 stations in the first phase, including Kalka, Yamunanagar-Jagadhri and Ambala City in Haryana; Malerkotla, Patiala, Sirhind, SAS Nagar Mohali, Dhuri, Abohar, Anandpur Sahib, Nangal Dam, Rupnagar and Sangrur in Punjab; Amb Andaura in Himachal Pradesh, and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. With Shimla adding to the list, the number goes to 16.
The redevelopment was kicked-off officially by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who virtually laid the foundation stone for 509 Amrit Bharat Stations in the country on August 3.
The Railway Land Development Authority is also re-developing Chandigarh, Bathinda Junction and Ambala Cantonment railway stations under the division.