CHENNAI: Waking up to the opportunity of monetising the land available at stations and to provide world class services, the Railways has kickstarted an ambitious programme, which will see a total of 400 major stations across the country being re-developed through Private Public Participation.
Under the first phase, launched by the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday, 23 major stations across the country are expected to get a major facelift. Chennai Central and Kozhikode figure in the first phase, as they have been identified to be high potential stations.
Addressing railway officials through teleconference from New Delhi, Prabhu said the valuable real estate available at stations have huge commercial value, as there is a huge number of footfalls in them everyday. By tapping into that potential, he said, “Railways could generate revenues, while passengers could experience world class facilities.”
The minister also said the railways has entered into an agreement with Union Ministry of Urban Development, which would see the development of smart stations in line with smart cities. He said the station redevelopment programme fits into the non-fare revenue policy.
The redeveloped stations would improve passenger experience by providing amenities like digital signage, escalators, self ticketing counters, lounges and several other faculties.
The stations would be redeveloped by a private party identified through a competitive bidding process. The revamped stations have been envisioned as centres for retail development with office spaces, including the hospitality sector. According to Railway officials the bids would be opened on May 22.