Railways to spend over Rs 1,100 crore to transform stations to look like 5-star complexes
An artist's impression of how a redeveloped railway station will look
Picture this: You drive into a swanky parking lot at Mumbai Central Station, park your four-wheeler and get into the nearest elevator. On stepping out, you walk into a plush coffee house, order a takeaway cappuccino, before taking the escalator to Platform No. 1. Moments later, a local train approaches the station, the doors slide open, and you walk into the cool comforts of a furbished compartment. Too fancy for a Mumbai local train journey? According to the Indian Railways, this is soon going to be reality.
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Mumbai's Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Thane, Borivli, Bandra Terminus and Mumbai Central stations have been identified for a Rs 1,100 crore-plus transformation that will make the stations look nothing short of a five-star complex. Sources said that the proximity of these stations to long distance trains made them viable contenders for the project.
The semi-privatisation plan will include 18 other stations from across India. According to officials, the transformed railway stations will comprise a five-star hotel, malls, commercial office spaces and eateries. They will also include escalators, elevators, self-ticketing counters, executive lounges, luggage screening machines, walkways and holding areas for passengers, among other facilities. The focus is on transit-oriented development, where various public modes of transport will intersect with each other.
As per this model, the government will not incur any expenditure as the private developer will rebuild the stations and maintain it for 15 years. "Approximately 140 acres of encroachment-free land at these stations will be available for the developers on a 45-year lease," a railway official said.
Rs 10k Amount in crores that the project is expected to generate for the Railways
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