Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
Recently the Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).
Under this scheme, state-of-the-art public transport and world-class facilities will be provided at railway stations.
It may be noted that the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) was launched by the Ministry of Railways in February 2023 with the aim of modernizing and expanding railway stations across India.
Objective of the Scheme:
- Improvement of facilities beyond the minimum essential facilities; construction of roof plazas and city centers within stations; Commissioning of new facilities and upgradation of existing facilities.
- It is based on master planning for a long period. Also, the implementation of the master plan will be as per the needs of the railway station.
- The stations will be developed as ‘City Centres’ based on an integrated approach for holistic urban development centered around the station.
Initiatives taken by Indian Railways for Modernization:
- Train Modernization: Trains will be modernized with initiatives such as indigenously developed Vande Bharat trains, Vistadome coaches, smart coaches with state-of-the-art facilities, increased speed of goods trains.
- Theme-inspired design: Stations will be designed based on specific themes, integrating local landmarks and cultural elements. For example, the Jaipur station design will incorporate elements such as the iconic Hawa Mahal in Rajasthan, and the Amber Fort.
- Signaling and protection systems: These include new features like Real Time Information System (RTIS) for tracking, Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) coaches, indigenously developed Train Collision Avoidance System – Kavach, Electronic Interlocking System.
- Green Building Norms: Initiatives such as setting up of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), electrification of all railway tracks and making Railways a zero carbon emission organization by 2030 will be achieved.
Other Initiatives:
All unmanned level crossings on broad gauge will be eliminated, Wi-Fi services will be provided at stations, one station one product scheme will be introduced etc.
Source – PIB
