Rly revamp plan hits the track
In a first step towards making Ahmedabad station a world-class facility, the western rly invites tenders for the project’s master plan, feasibility report
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 13, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20100913201009130355133372767cb2d)
The plan to turn the Ahmedabad railway station into a world-class facility finally chugged out of the boardroom on Sunday, with western rail authorities inviting tenders for preparation of project’s feasibility report and design.
This is a significant first step as the passenger and rail traffic at the cramped station, which lacks many public amenities, is expected to rise sharply. In fact, according to an official estimate, the number of people arriving or boarding trains from here annually will shoot up from 5.53 crore to 7.81 crore by 2020.
A source in the western railways said that architectural firms and technical consultants, based in India or abroad, had been asked to forward tenders not just for the Ahmedabad station, but also for those in Surat and Porbandar. He said that this was in accordance with the Union railway ministry’s decision to make all the three stations world-class ones.
The task of architectural firms, he said, would be to prepare a master plan for the stations’ revamp and suggest modern facilities and infrastructure. Technical consultants will submit cost estimates of this ambitious project and revenue projections. “The railways is looking for companies that have experience in not just revamping a place such as a station, but also creating new facilities such as multi-level parking, malls, escalators and separate areas for arrival and departure,” the source said.
Divisional Railway Manager (Ahmedabad) Ashok Garud said that the move to invite tenders was the first step towards the goal of making the Kalupur station a rail facility of international standards. “Earlier, we had sent a report containing estimates of passenger traffic the station would see 20 years from now to the railway board,” he said. “Now, the plan for turning the place into a world-class one is slowly taking shape.”
The revamped station is expected to have a state-of-the-art building with food courts, retail outlets and ATM booths. Elevators may be installed to make it easier for people to move from one platform to another. Spaces where passengers mill about will be adequately illuminated and proper sign boards will be installed there. All this will be done under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
A senior railway official, however, said that creating facilities at the Ahmedabad junction might prove to be a tough challenge. “There is very little free space, and there is no scope for expansion. All new infrastructure will have to be built in the existing area,” he said. The official said that it would be easier to covert the Sabarmati station into an international-level facility. “Space is not a deterrent at this station,” he said.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 13, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20100913201009130355133372767cb2d)
The plan to turn the Ahmedabad railway station into a world-class facility finally chugged out of the boardroom on Sunday, with western rail authorities inviting tenders for preparation of project’s feasibility report and design.
This is a significant first step as the passenger and rail traffic at the cramped station, which lacks many public amenities, is expected to rise sharply. In fact, according to an official estimate, the number of people arriving or boarding trains from here annually will shoot up from 5.53 crore to 7.81 crore by 2020.
A source in the western railways said that architectural firms and technical consultants, based in India or abroad, had been asked to forward tenders not just for the Ahmedabad station, but also for those in Surat and Porbandar. He said that this was in accordance with the Union railway ministry’s decision to make all the three stations world-class ones.
The task of architectural firms, he said, would be to prepare a master plan for the stations’ revamp and suggest modern facilities and infrastructure. Technical consultants will submit cost estimates of this ambitious project and revenue projections. “The railways is looking for companies that have experience in not just revamping a place such as a station, but also creating new facilities such as multi-level parking, malls, escalators and separate areas for arrival and departure,” the source said.
Divisional Railway Manager (Ahmedabad) Ashok Garud said that the move to invite tenders was the first step towards the goal of making the Kalupur station a rail facility of international standards. “Earlier, we had sent a report containing estimates of passenger traffic the station would see 20 years from now to the railway board,” he said. “Now, the plan for turning the place into a world-class one is slowly taking shape.”
The revamped station is expected to have a state-of-the-art building with food courts, retail outlets and ATM booths. Elevators may be installed to make it easier for people to move from one platform to another. Spaces where passengers mill about will be adequately illuminated and proper sign boards will be installed there. All this will be done under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
A senior railway official, however, said that creating facilities at the Ahmedabad junction might prove to be a tough challenge. “There is very little free space, and there is no scope for expansion. All new infrastructure will have to be built in the existing area,” he said. The official said that it would be easier to covert the Sabarmati station into an international-level facility. “Space is not a deterrent at this station,” he said.
