 "chart")
Veterans within the Indian Railways recall that the current iteration of station redevelopment was initiated by Mamata Banerjee when she presented the Railway Budget in July 2009. At that juncture, she outlined her intent to transform 50 stations into globally benchmarked facilities, complete with contemporary amenities.
Fast-forward to 2023, and it is evident that only a small fraction of stations has been revamped according to the initial vision. This is primarily because of impediments and procedural clearances required by various departments, which have struggled to reach a consensus.
However, the establishment of the Gati Shakti directorate has speeded up progress on major stations, and the ambitious project is finally beginning to take shape nearly 14 years after it was conceived.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the redevelopment of 508 railway stations at a cost of over Rs 24,470 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (see box). Launched in February 2023, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme aims to modernise a total of 1,309 railway stations, outfitting them with amenities akin to those found in airports, including lounges and commercial spaces.
Sudhanshu Mani, former general manager of the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and the official often credited to be behind the Vande Bharat trains, said, “Although these conversations have been on for 15-20 years, redevelopment in the planned sense has happened at only three stations: Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli (Karnataka), Rani Kamlapati station at Habibganj (Madhya Pradesh), and Gandhinagar (Gujarat).” The delay is due to the involvement of numerous stakeholders beyond the Indian Railways, including state government agencies, urban development departments, and municipalities, among others. “It is hoped that better strategies will now be employed,” he added.
Presently, 24 stations across the country are undergoing transformation, including prominent ones such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (Rs 1,813 crore) and Chennai Egmore station (Rs 842 crore).
The impact of Gati Shakti is evident in the data: In 2021-22, one railway station was sanctioned for redevelopment. In 2022-23, the number had jumped to 50.
There remain hurdles, though.
What hinders progress
Take the case of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, a 130-year-old Unesco world heritage site crafted in the Victorian Gothic style. This station serves as the headquarters for Central Railways and accommodates platforms for both suburban and long-distance trains. The archaeological department reportedly has concerns over the project’s original blueprints. Despite the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) having solicited bids from private parties in 2020, the initiative stalled for multiple reasons, including opposition from archaeological and environmental bodies as well as local authorities. A notification issued in May by A V Prakasan, who is overseeing station redevelopment under the Gati Shakti directorate, reveals that the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus has now been recommended for environmental clearance by the committee overseeing it, subject to certain conditions.
The directorate has provided similar updates on stations including Chandigarh (Rs 462 crore), Lucknow (Rs 399 crore), Nagpur (Rs 488 crore), Secunderabad (Rs 715 crore), Ajni (Rs 788 crore), Jaipur (Rs 716 crore), Udaipur (Rs 304 crore), Tirupati (Rs 299 crore), and Nellore (Rs 102 crore), among others.
Despite being designated as the lead agency for station redevelopment since 2012, IRSDC struggled to steer the project on course. Consequently, the government decided to wind up the organisation’s operations in March 2021, marking a unique instance of an entity within the Railways encountering such a fate in nearly five decades.
Mani added that the makeover of New Delhi station, envisioned as a model showcase, has been a disappointment so far. While bids were invited on multiple occasions, the project remains stagnant. The station, the country’s largest and second busiest after Howrah, accommodates a staggering 450,000 daily passengers (around 160-170 million annually). The project has been stalled for over a decade due to disagreements between urban development departments and state government authorities.
Empowered by the Gati Shakti directorate’s intensified efforts, which have facilitated coordination between state and central government entities, the ambitious endeavour finally appears to be getting on track.
