Three key railway stations in Chhattisgarh set to get Rs 1,200-cr makeover

The Indian Railways will start modernising three major stations in Chhattisgarh — Raipur, Bilaspur, and Durg — in February with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore, officials have said.

“All three will be built as model stations. About Rs 400 crore is expected to be spent on each station,” a senior official of the Raipur railway division said.

The railways plans to not only provide the best facilities to the passengers but also develop these stations to handle the demand for another six decades. “The railway administration has made the framework for the construction keeping in mind the rush of passengers up to 2083,” the official said.

The proposed stations will have two-floor buildings and a waiting hall with a capacity for 7,000 passengers. The complex will be built in such a way that it can accommodate a metro station in the future.

The official said the new buildings would include a multi-brand showroom, a food court, and hotels. Officials said the Raipur station, which now has space for around 800 motorcycles and 300 vehicles, would get a multi-level parking area. However, the site for the same has not been identified.

The redeveloped station will also have stringent security measures in place, such as the installation of an integrated security system that will scan passengers’ luggage as well as those entering the station.

According to officials, a mechanism would be developed to ensure that train traffic movement is not affected once the work starts.

The three stations are on a single route connecting Howrah and Mumbai and handle heavy traffic. Many South- or East-bound trains originating from Bihar and Jharkhand pass through the three stations. Besides, trains departing from Visakha­patnam and Puri for various destinations in the East and the North stop at Raipur and Durg stations.