SECR to revamp Chhattisgarh rly stations under Amrit Bharat Station scheme

At least 49 railway stations of the South East Central Railway (SECR) zone, including 30 in Chhattisgarh, will be renovated and modernised under the 'Amrit Bharat Station' scheme, an official said on Friday.

A long term master plan will be drafted for the redevelopment of railway stations as per the requirements under the scheme and it will be implemented in a phased manner, he said.

The Railway Ministry plans to revamp 1,275 railway stations under the 'Amrit Bharat Station' scheme. This includes 49 stations in the SECR zone, headquartered in Bilaspur, said Shiv Prasad, the senior publicity inspector, Raipur Railway Division.

The SECR zone comprises Raipur, Bilaspur and Nagpur divisions.

Of the 49 stations in the SECR zone, 30 are in Chhattisgarh, nine in Madhya Pradesh, eight in Maharashtra and two in Odisha, he said.

Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Korba, Ambikapur, Durg, Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh), Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Gondia (Maharashtra) are some of the stations to be covered under the scheme in SECR, the official said.

The aim is to prepare a master plan to enhance facilities other than the minimum essential facilities available at railway stations and implement it in a phased manner within a stipulated time, he said.

Along with the introduction of new facilities at these stations, the existing amenities will also be upgraded, the official said.

Under the scheme, the SECR will focus on improving passenger amenities, including free WiFi, waiting rooms and toilets, better information systems and among other facilities, he said.

Apart from this, the roads adjacent to stations will be widened by razing unwanted structures, the official added.