IR launches station revamp drive

In a key development, foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 railway stations has been laid on August 6, 2023. These stations are spread across 27 states and union territories. The new designs will be inspired by local culture and heritage. Of the 508, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have the maximum number of stations (55) being redeveloped. Meanwhile, 49 stations are in Bihar, 44 in Maharashtra, 37 in West Bengal, 34 in Madhya Pradesh, 32 in Assam, 25 in Odisha, 22 in Punjab, 21 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Besides 15 stations in Haryana and 13 in Karnataka will also be redeveloped. These stations fall under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and will entail investments to the tune of Rs 244.70 billion. The 37 stations in West Bengal will be redeveloped at Rs 15.03 billion, while the 20 stations in Jharkhand will entail investment of approximately Rs 8.87 billion.