Redeveloped Gandhinagar railway station to be inaugurated on Friday

Gandhinagar, July 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the India's first redeveloped railway station at Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar on Friday. The redeveloped railway station hosts a number of world-class facilities including the first-of-its-kind 5-star hotel built over the railway tracks, officials said here on Wednesday.

"Gujarat capital, Gandhinagar has the country's first redeveloped railway station. The station has been developed with a vision to complement the adjoining Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre (MMCC), which has become a preferred destination for conferences, exhibitions and events," said Managing Director and CEO of Indian Railways Station Development Corporation (IRSDC), SK Lohia.

The redeveloped railway station hosts world-class facilities and atop it, a 5-star hotel has been built over running live railway tracks. "What was missing in Gandhinagar, was a suitable accommodation for stay within walking distance of the MMCC. It is for the first time in the country that a hotel like this has been built over running live railway tracks," added Lohia.

According to the company statement, the redevelopment works of the railway station has been carried out at a cost of Rs 71.50 crore by a Special Purpose Vehicle called Gandhinagar Railway and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (GARUD), a joint venture company of Gujarat government and IRSDCL, Western Railway.

"The central government took up the station redevelopment as its priority agenda, intending to boost the economy of the cities where such stations are being redeveloped," said Lohia.

The Gandhinagar railway station has been developed with world class amenities at par with modern airports for a pleasurable experience of passengers, said an official of the Western Railways.

"There is an interfaith prayer hall, maybe first such thing in any railway station anywhere. Besides that there is an art gallery with LED wall display lounge, a baby feeding room, a centralised AC waiting hall, double height entrance lobby with spacious ticketing facility. The station is Divyang friendly," added Lohia.

"The most unique feature of this station is a column-free, sleek and economical space frame of 105 meter span (curbed arch) and 90 meter horizontal, which is the longest on any station of the Indian Railways. We have three platforms at present and a scope of further two," added Lohia.

The station has a centralized AC multipurpose waiting lounge with a capacity to seat 40 people. "This space can also be rented out to host functions like exhibitions, social functions among others, during the timings when there is no train movement. This could earn the railways some money too," added Lohia.

Modi will also flag off two new trains from the station, one between Gandhinagar Capital and Varanasi, and a MEMU train, apart from inaugurating a host of other railway infrastructure projects in the state through video conferencing on Friday, officials said.

Apart from redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital railway station, Modi will also inaugurate and dedicate to the nation Gauge Converted cum Electrified Mahesana-Varetha line and the newly electrified Surendranagar-Pipavav section, and will flag off two new trains, a weekly Gandhinagar Capital-Varanasi Superfast Express and a MEMU service trains between Gandhinagar Capital and Varetha.