CHITRADURGA: The pace of redevelopment of railway stations in Karnataka under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) appears slow, with only 12 of the 61 stations identified in the state having been completed so far.
In a written reply to an unstarred question raised by Rajya Sabha MP Mansoor Ali Khan on August 7, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 1,340 railway stations across the country had been identified for development under the scheme. Of these, 261 stations have been completed, while works at the remaining stations are at various stages of execution, tendering and master planning.
In Karnataka, 61 stations have been identified under the scheme. They include Chitradurga, Davangere, Harihar, Hosapete, Ballari, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Vijayapura, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Hassan and Bengaluru Cantonment, among others.
The 12 stations where redevelopment works have been completed are Alnavar, Badami, Bagalkot, Bantwal, Dharwad, Gadag, Gokak Road, Hosapete, Koppal, Munirabad, Ranebennur and Subrahmanya Road.
Several major stations in the state are still undergoing substantial works. At Chitradurga railway station, works include a new station building, entrance porch, waiting hall, toilet and booking office. Improvement of the circulating area, parking facilities and amenities for Divyangjan are also part of the redevelopment plan, Vaishnaw said.
At Davangere station, platform shelter, improvement of the platform surface, a new toilet, parking facilities and amenities for Divyangjan have been completed. Work on a lift, escalator and a 12-meter-wide foot overbridge is under way, he added.
At Bengaluru Cantonment, a new diversion road, electrical sub-station and a five-meter-wide foot overbridge have been completed, while the new station building, air concourse and a 12-meter-wide foot overbridge are under construction.
At Yesvantpur, an elevated road, arrival and departure plaza, multi-level car parking, electrical sub-station, overhead tank and sewage treatment plant have been completed, with other works under way. The ABSS envisages comprehensive improvement of station infrastructure, including better access and circulating areas, upgraded waiting halls and toilets, wider foot overbridges, lifts and escalators, improved platforms, parking facilities, passenger information systems, landscaping and amenities for Divyangjan.
The Railway Ministry said redevelopment works are taken up in phases based on the condition of stations, passenger traffic, inter-se priority and availability of funds. Statutory clearances, shifting of utilities and the need to execute construction without disrupting train operations are among the challenges affecting the pace of work. For 2026-27, Rs 633 crore has been allocated to South Western Railway under Plan Head-53 (Customer Amenities), of which Rs 184 crore has been spent up to June 2026.
