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No fare increase due to revamp of rail stations, says Vaishnaw
The railways is training around 9,000 engineers to be part of the redevelopment project, the minister said
The modernisation of 508 railway stations, an initiative Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched on Sunday by virtually laying the foundation stone, will not lead to any increase in passenger fares, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured on Sunday, as the project cost of ₹ 25,000 crore will be met through budgetary allocations.
“No additional fee will be charged, or no fare will be hiked in the name of station redevelopment as Prime Minister Modi has given us separate funds for this development,” Vaishnaw said at a media briefing. “The redevelopment project is aimed to facilitate seamless travel from passengers across all strata of society and to have world-class stations.”
The country will see meaningful progress on this project in the coming two years. The ₹25,000 crore needed for the project will be allocated through the national budget. The railways is training around 9,000 engineers to be part of the redevelopment project, the minister said. There will be no discrimination against any state, he added.
Responding to concerns over delayed projects in Kerala, Vaishnaw said: “The situation at Kerala is special as the state government does not have that much interest in the development of the state. That is why we find so much resistance even for small things like surveys or preparing detailed project reports. We find so much resistance that it’s really difficult to do any work.”
The railways has envisaged a plan to redevelop almost 1,300 stations in the country as Amrit Bharat stations, Modi said while virtually laying the foundation stone for the revamping of 508 stations. Fifty five Amrit stations will be developed at the cost of about ₹4,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, 34 in Madhya Pradesh at a cost of ₹ 1,000 crore and 44 stations in Maharashtra at the cost of ₹1,500 crore, the Prime Minister said. Some important railway stations in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, among others, will also be redeveloped, he said.
Modi referred to the national transporter ’s status as the lifeline of the country and said, along with this, the identity of cities is linked with its railway stations, which have become the heart of the cities with the passing of time.
The modernization of these stations will create a new atmosphere for development in the country as they will create a good first impression with visitors, Modi said. The upgraded stations will not only increase tourism but will also boost economic activities in adjoining areas, he said.
The government’s ‘One Station, One Product’ scheme will help artisans and assist in the branding of the concerned district, the Prime Minister said.
