City Centres: Stations can turn ‘City Centres’, hopes govt | India News

NEW DELHI: The government is looking to redevelop railway stations across 1,300 locations in the country, mostly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which will emerge as the ‘City Centres’ and hub of activities in the near future. The stations have been designed to provide modern amenities to passengers and also showcase the architecture, heritage, culture and iconic structure of the cities.

After virtually laying the foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 such railway stations, PM Narendra Modi said this will lead to a significant transformation of rail infrastructure in India and will also create a good first impression among visitors about the city and the state.
Stating that the scheme will benefit every state and Union territory, the PM said while 55 stations are being redeveloped in Uttar Pradesh with a Rs 4,000 crore investment, another 55 are being revamped in Rajasthan. Similarly, 34 stations in Madhya Pradesh will be revamped with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 1,500 crore will be spent in Maharashtra for redevelopment of 44 stations.

After the event, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government has earmarked the budget for these works and the amount of around Rs 25,000 crore will be spent over the coming one-and-a-half years. He added that stations have huge importance in the life of people living in small towns and this has been kept in mind while planning their redevelopment. “The government’s focus has been to provide the best facilities without adding any burden and so there are no new fees on station development,” he said.