With a view to attracting more passengers and improve basic amenities, the Indian Railways has decided to give a facelift to over 500 stations across the country incorporating state-of-the-art facilities.
Altogether 528 railway stations spread over 16 Zonal Railways will be developed into two categories -- Model and Modern.
"Among the selected stations, 271 will be developed as model and 257 as modern which will provide additional passengers amenities, safety and security system," a senior ministry official said.
While the stress on developing model stations will be to ensure basic amenities like rest rooms, retiring rooms, refreshment rooms and cloak rooms, the modern stations will have state-of-the-art waiting rooms, signages, personal address system and improved cleanliness.
An additional feature in both the model and modern railway stations will be to have adequate security and safety measures to deal with any eventuality like terror and Naxal attacks, the official said.
"There are about 7,000 railway stations across the country and it is necessary to develop them all in a phased manner. That is why we have decided to start with the project of model and modern railway stations and taken at least five stations in each division of the zonal railways," he said.
According to the official, the Railway Board will bear an expense of over Rs 200 crore (Rs 2 billion) in completing the development work.
There are 28 stations in Northern Railway, 30 in South Central Railway, 25 in East Central Railway, 18 in Eastern and 19 in Southern Railway which will be developed as modern stations.
Whereas, there are 22 stations in Central Railway, 18 in North Western Railway, 22 in North East Frontier Railway and 14 stations in West Central Railway will be advanced as modern railway stations.
According to the official, the Railways has also decided to increase passenger facilities like raising of platforms from low- and middle-level to high-levels and identified 380 stations for the project.
"It will also develop platform shelters at 271 railway stations across the network and foot-over bridges at another 186 stations," he said adding that the Railways has specifically designated nearly 100 stations to extend platforms to accommodate 24-coach train.
The Railway Board will soon meet the General Managers of all the Zonal Railways to discuss the modernisation work, the official added.
