16 railway stations to soon be revamped under PPP model, 3 in Delhi

Indian Railways is looking to use the public-private partnership (PPP) model to upgrade 16 railway stations in the country including Nizamuddin, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar, and Vijaywada. The decision has been taken following the plan to revamp the New Delhi and CST stations under the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, a report by Times of India (TOI) said. 

"We are exploring the options for PPP wherever it’s viable and cost-effective. The details of the tender documents are being worked out and different monetisation models are under consideration to attract private investment," an official told TOI. 

Among the other stations that are likely to be revamped under the PPP model are Pune, Coimbatore, Baroda, Bhopal, and Bangalore City. The bid value for these 16 stations is expected to be around Rs 10,000 crore. 

Under the EPC model, the government funds the entire project and the operations are conducted by a company. While in PPP, the cost is split.

Last week, the Cabinet approved the plan to redevelop New Delhi station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Ahmedabad stations under the EPC model. The centre did not want any extra burden on the passengers, TOI added. 

Under the EPC model, the tenders for 47 stations have been approved and the work has already started on 32 stations. 

Also, under the PPP model, the railways will not levy any additional costs like the user charge on the passengers and the private players will be able to recover their investment fully. 

Under the EPC model, the stations will also have waiting lounges, food courts, and play areas for children.