HYDERABAD: As part of the Centre’s Amrit Bharat Station scheme which aims to develop 1,000 small railway stations, as many as 105 small railway stations under the South Central Railway (SCR) zone are set to be upgraded.
Sources said around 10 to 15 railway stations under each division — such as Secunderabad, Hyderabad, Nanded, Vijayawada, Guntur and Guntakal — have been proposed for development under the initiative.
A release by the Ministry of Railways said that high-level platforms (760-840 mill meters) shall be provided at all categories of stations as part of the scheme apart from improvements to station approaches by the widening of roads, removal of unwanted structures, installation of properly designed signages, allotting dedicated pedestrian pathways, and setting up planned parking areas and improving lighting, among other things.
At first, a master plan of the railway station will be created after which the works will begin.
Attempts will be made to club different grades of waiting halls and provide good cafeteria and retail facilities for passengers. Escalators may be provided at NSG/1-4 and SG/1-2 category stations irrespective of footfall, the release added. It also said that amenities for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) will be provided as per guidelines issued by the Railway Board from time to time.
A special focus has also been put on building a sufficient number of toilets with separate provisions for women and PwDs. The location of the toilets should be easily visible, accessible and appropriate to station usage. At least two station name boards should be LED-based with good visibility for the passengers of trains passing through the station, it added.
The second-entry station building and circulating area shall be improved as per the needs of the station. Wherever a second-entry building is not being provided presently, space for the circulating area will be well planned and a liaison shall be established with the local bodies so that approach roads for second entry are kept in the city’s master plan and development around the station is suitably controlled, the release added.