The Indian Railways is redeveloping Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati into a railway station of the future, with a rich tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s historic Dandi March.
According to officials, more than 200 railway stations were being redeveloped into world-class terminals with modern amenities so that passengers experienced a comfortable, convenient and enjoyable travel.
Officials said Sabarmati was a world-renowned city due to its association with Mahatma Gandhi and the ashram established by him on the banks of Sabarmati river. The Sabarmati railway station (Western Railway) is the nearest railhead to this edifice of national importance, they added.
“As a tribute to the Father of the Nation, Indian Railways is remodelling the Sabarmati station on the theme of Dandi March. The station design incorporates various aspects deeply associated with Gandhi ji such as charkha and also the historic Dandi March. The station design has been imbibed with architectural ambience, ensuring that the premises present a unified theme through aesthetic façade and color scheme. The miniature model has been displayed at Sabarmati station so that passengers can get an overall look and feel of the upcoming station,” officials said.
“The redevelopment work has started and is in progress at full swing. It is being undertaken by the Western Railway at a sanctioned cost of Rs 334.92 crore and is targeted to be completed by August 2025. The geotechnical investigations, site survey and utility mapping have been completed,” said an official statement from the Western Railway.
Officials further said the railways had planned to create an alternate coaching terminal for Delhi-bound trains by redeveloping Sabarmati railway station. It is now being redeveloped in such a way so as to have an integration of all transport modes in the vicinity of the station and will be connected to high-speed railway station hub, Sabarmati and AEC Metro stations, bus rapid transit system, Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service through skywalks, they added.
“Sabarmati railway station is being upgraded and redeveloped into a well-designed station with adequate areas for various amenities. The plan includes segregated arrival and departure passenger plazas, congestion-free and conflict-free entry and exits in station premises, and underground parking arrangements among others,” an official said.
The station building will be green in colour with features for efficient use of energy, water and other resources, and renewable energy.
The Western Railway’s Gandhinagar capital station in Gujarat was the first to be redeveloped into a world-class station, the other two being Rani Kamalapati near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru.
Read all the Latest India News here
