TIRUCHY: About 15 railway stations under the Tiruchy division would get a facelift to its infrastructure and passenger amenities by June, courtesy of the Amrit Bharat scheme. As per officials, steps are in place to avoid any delay to the project and preliminary studies are underway.
The Amrit Bharat scheme was launched last December by the Indian Railway to give a facelift to railway stations across the country.
A total of 90 stations from six divisions under the Southern Railway have been selected for the scheme, and the proposed projects would be completed by March 2024. Under the scheme, stations in the Tiruchy division which will undergo a facelift include Thanjavur, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Ariyalur, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Mannargudi, Lalgudi, Srirangam, Polur, Tirupadiripuliyur, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvarur, Vellore and Virudhachalam. for this upgradation project.
A senior railway official said, "Consultation works, as part of the project, began in Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai on February 7. The teams will be submitting their report by the fourth week of this month."
Further, officials said the estimate for the remaining stations would be prepared in the coming days. "Field work for about seven stations would commence in the coming days," another official said. Officials have roughly calculated about two months to prepare the work estimate of 15 stations.
"It is a long process involving official visits by architects and consultants who would assess the infrastructure and passenger requirements. After a detailed analysis, the division would send in the report to the headquarters," a source said.
Welcoming the move, B Baskaran, the general secretary of the Tiruvarur District Rail Users Committee, said, "We are glad that the ministry has decided to upgrade the infrastructure and passenger amenities of several stations in the country. This decision would improve the hospitality of the stations, and it will be beneficial for several commuters."