BHUBANESWAR: Puri railway station will be redeveloped into a world-class transit hub to provide the best-in-class amenities to passengers and enhance the travel experience.
The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has invited bids for the redevelopment of the railway station. While the pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for July 15, the deadline for the bid submission is August 17.
The station will be built on Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer Model (DBFOT) and the cost of the project (excluding the cost of redevelopment of station estate) has been estimated at Rs 82 crore.
The work includes the up-gradation and integrated redevelopment of the railway station spanning 28,574 sq metre and the development of the surrounding railway land.
The station will be developed as a multimodal transit hub in line with international standards with segregation for entry and exit, baggage security, check-in area, an information centre, and art gallery.
It will have provision for differently-abled, including access ramps, lifts, and tactile flooring. The model station will also have green building features with sustainable and energy-efficient design, maximum use of natural light and ventilation, rainwater harvesting, solar energy generation with a minimum GRIHA 3-star rating.
Puri railway station is a Non-Suburban Grade (NSG)-2 Category terminal station under the Khurda division of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) Zone. It is one of the busiest stations with eight platforms handling 52 trains, including mail, express, and passenger trains daily. Puri handled a daily footfall of 16,680 passengers in 2018-19.
Vice-Chairman of RLDA Ved Parkash Dudeja said Puri is a historic city and a renowned tourist hub. The redevelopment of the railway station will bolster tourism prospects and position it among the leading destinations for religious tourism. The commercial development will also lead to a surge in business activities, boost real estate, and generate employment in the region, he said.
RLDA has been mandated with the redevelopment of 60 railway stations in a phased manner while its subsidiary Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) has taken up 62 other railway stations in the country.
Indian Railways has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land across India. The RLDA is handling 100 commercial (greenfield) sites and 84 railway colony redevelopment projects. The eligible developers for each project will be selected through an open and transparent bidding process.