KOCHI: Under the Indian Railways’ Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), the two railway divisions in the state have been allocated Rs 303.54 crore out of the Rs 934 crore sanctioned for the Southern Railway.
Another good news for the state is that the Guruvayur Railway station too has been included in the scheme. A proposed design for the new station building, too, has been approved. The Thiruvananthapuram division got Rs 108 crore, while the Palakkad division was allocated Rs 195.54 crore under the ABS Scheme.
According to the Southern Railway spokesperson, 41 stations in the state will be getting upgraded with the introduction of new amenities.
“Amrit Bharat Station scheme aims to introduce new amenities for passengers as well as the upgradation of existing amenities. The following improvements are planned at the identified stations as part of Phase-I development under Amrit Bharat Scheme at the 90 railway stations in Southern Railway,” he said.
Consultancy contracts were awarded at a value of Rs 13.88 crores in 2022-23, and the scope of work includes the preparation of a Master plan envisaging the development of stations on a long-term basis, in a phased manner, with a long-term vision.
Master plans have been prepared by the consultant and approved by the Railway administration for all 90 stations. Based on this Master plan, work to be done under Phase-I has been identified. Tenders for developmental works have been awarded for 35 stations, and the process for finalising tenders is in the final stages for the remaining stations. In this connection, Rs 934 crores have been sanctioned in 2023-24.
Facilities that will be installed at the railway stations are