Railway ministry shares pictures of Gandhinagar railway station before and after revamp: All you need to know

The Union ministry of Railways on Thursday shared images of the Gandhinagar Capital railway station in Gujarat before and after its redevelopment. The visuals shared by the ministry showed ticket booking counters of the station before and after their transformation. The counters have been upgraded with digital display boards and the older grilled windows replaced with glass windows.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the station, along with several key railway projects in the state, on July 16 via video conferencing. The station is the country’s first redeveloped station to provide an “airport-like experience” to passengers, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday citing Railways officials.

In a series of tweets, the ministry promoted the new features in the railway station following its redevelopment and called it a ‘new station for the new India’.

From a luxury hotel to an interfaith prayer hall and an external facade with changing theme-based lighting, here is all you need to know about the facilities at the station:

• The station is a green building and has been provided 5-star certification from GEM of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM), the railways ministry said.
• In an effort to make the facility inclusive of all people, the ministry said it is “Divyangjan-friendly” station with dedicated ticket booking space, ramps, lifts and parking facilities.
• Seamless aluminium sheets have been used to cover the station’s roof over all platforms and tracks. The external facade dons a state-of-the-art theme-based lighting that can be changed daily to make the ambience more delightful, the ministry said.

Also read | Railways’ 1st redeveloped station to be inaugurated by PM Modi

• Double-height entrance lobby with a spacious ticketing facility, an interfaith prayer hall and a baby feeding room have also been added to the station after the renovation.
• To facilitate movement of visitors, the three existing platforms have been connected using two subways. Also, the platforms have been added with seating facilities that can accommodate 480 people.
• The station has segregated entry and exit gates. Escalators and elevators have also been provided to increase ease of movement. A parking facility that could hold 163 cars, 120 two-wheelers and 40 autos has also been included.
• An air-conditioned waiting lounge has been built with a seating capacity of 40 pople. A dedicated art gallery with live LED display has also been opened.
• Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre has been constructed to provide seamless experience to visitors, the ministry said. A luxury hotel spread across 7,400 sq mt has also been opened for guests attending seminars and conferences at the Mahatma Mandir. The hotel will be operated by a private entity and costs ₹790 crore with 318 rooms.

PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah would attend the ceremony to inaugurate the facility virtually while Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani are expected to join the event in Gandhinagar, news agency PTI reported.

(With agency inputs)