NILGIRIS: Officials of the Salem Railway Division have decided to carry out development works at Udhagamandalam railway station under Amrit Gurav Scheme. It is one among the 15 stations in the division that have been chosen for a revamp and the central government has allocated a total of `200 for the works.
Under the initiative, two-wheeler parking space will be widened and a new cafeteria would be set up, in the design of a coach in a train operated by the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), to give a pleasant experience of travelling in UNESCO recognised World Heritage Site to tourists. The entry and exit point of the station is also set to be widened and a separate pathway for pedestrians will be carried out. CCTV cameras would be fixed both inside and outside the station, and interiors of the waiting room would be changed and TVs would also be placed in the retiring rooms.
The facade of the facility will also be renovated but officials assured that it would be done without changing the existing century-old structure. Moreover, signage boards in Braille system and a ramp would be set up to facilitate differently-abled people to enjoy these facilities and access the station without any difficulties.
A senior official of the Salem Railway division said that the tender process is in progress and the contractor would be finalised within two months. All these works would be completed within a year under Phase One of the Amrit Gurav Scheme and another set of development works would be carried out in Phase Two.
Meanwhile, K Natarajan founder of Nilgiris Heritage Steam Chariot Trust suggested that southern railway officials joining hands with the tourism department should open a tourist information counter at the station as lakhs of domestic and international tourists are arriving annually.