Guwahati, August 07, 2023: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praised the Central government for its efforts in the re-development of 32 railway stations in the state through the ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ initiative, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
Addressing a program in Guwahati related to the event, Sarma highlighted the changing travel habits of people due to improved services on trains. He expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Railway Minister for allocating a substantial budget to enhance rail networks in the northeast region.
My sincere gratitude to Hon PM for his relentless focus on developing railway infrastructure in the North East.
✅Guwahati Station will soon be modelled on Japanese railway station
✅ Apart from new track, massive electrification work is underway to enable Green Travel pic.twitter.com/Ob5iTKgP7L— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 6, 2023
Sarma emphasized that more than 50 stations in Assam will be re-developed as part of the central government’s latest initiative, with the initial work already commenced on 32 stations by the Prime Minister. He projected that these stations will transform into state-of-the-art facilities within the next two years, providing the latest amenities to passengers.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the successful connectivity between every state in the northeast and the mainland of the country in recent years. The region witnessed the replacement of old meter gauge lines with broad gauge, and several railway tracks were electrified, further improving travel experiences.
With the introduction of trains like Vande Bharat, people have expressed a preference for train journeys over flight services. Sarma reiterated PM Modi’s vision to position India among the top three largest economies in the world, aiming to surpass Japan in the next few years.
The foundation stone for re-development of 56 stations under Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with 32 stations in Assam benefiting from the initiative. A total budget of Rs 5,100 crore has been allocated for the re-development of 91 stations in NFR.
The ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ program envisions continuous development of stations with a long-term approach. Master Plans will be prepared and implemented in phases to improve station amenities, including station access, waiting halls, toilets, lift, escalators, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products, passenger information systems, executive lounges, and designated spaces for business meetings, while also incorporating landscaping to enhance the overall passenger experience.
Source: IANS
