Recently, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the ministry has identified 1,318 stations for redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), 'the world's biggest railway station redevelopment programme'. It was first announced in 2023 to develop 508 stations with an outlay of Rs 250 billion. With this scheme, stations are expected to get modern passenger amenities, better traffic circulation and inter-modal integration. Ultra-modern technology, architecture and digital initiatives will shape these railway stations into architectural marvels and contribute to redefine India’s future. However, it is less successful with underutilised funds allocated for passenger amenities.
Against this background, FIRST Construction Council had its webinar on "Railway Station Redevelopment Projects: Challenges and Opportunities" with experts - Karun Raj Singh Sareen, Partner, Major Projects Advisory, KPMG; Vikaas Ahluwalia, Director, Ahluwalia Contracts (India) and Raman Sikka, Associate Principal, Sikka Associates Architects. The event was moderated by Rakesh Rao, Executive Editor, ASAPP Info Global Group.
