No less than 1,337 railway stations across India are proposed to be redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. These redesign and redevelopment projects will upgrade amenities for train travellers, introducing passenger-friendly features such as barrier-free movement, seamless multimodal connectivity and smart, digital infrastructure. They will also make stations more sustainable, by incorporating renewable energy sources, energy-reducing passive design principles, and scalable, modular and adaptable designs. In all this, seamless urban integration is a priority. Essentially, the goal is to create future-ready transit hubs that also reflect regional architectural identities so as to merge into the cityscape, and be so well designed that they become tomorrow’s urban landmarks.

So far, tenders have been awarded and work has commenced in 1,198 railway stations. But the scale of redevelopment per station differs enormously. Thus, whereas Begumpet is getting new mobility solutions (escalators and lifts) and amenities such as a waiting area, a new ticket booking window and parking at a cost of Rs.26.55 crore, Ahmedabad (Kalupur) station is getting new multilevel parking, road connectivity, a new concourse and other amenities costing Rs.2,383 crore. Six redeveloped railway stations have been commissioned so far.

“A thorough site analysis helps assess geography, infrastructure and transportation networks, identifying potential challenges and opportunities,” says Rajesh Chaabra, Executive Director, Transportation, Egis South Asia. “Extensive stakeholder consultations with local authorities, transportation operators and the community ensure that the design meets both current and future needs. Optimising layouts for smooth passenger flow, efficient space usage and seamless user experiences, with particular attention to accessibility features, are a key priority.”

CW identifies trending features of India’s upcoming world-class terminals that promise to transform rail passenger experiences...