Tender finalised for redevelopment of Ahmedabad station

“The major part (for the redevelopment of Ahmedabad station, also known as Kalupur station) is to give it an aesthetical look, ensure world class passenger amenities and have a wide roof plaza landscape with local art to give the feeling of an airport,” Kumar said. He did not elaborate when work will begin on the project.

“Under the scheme, three stations were chosen for the creation of iconic structures – Ahmedabad, CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) in Mumbai and New Delhi railway station. While work in CSMT has already started, we have finalised the tender for Ahmedabad station,” he added.

“The work is capital-intensive (but) the station will be commercially exploited, increasing the value of the land… the project will create jobs too,” Kumar said.

In a presentation, Kumar said that revenue generated commercially will be utilised for the operation and maintenance of the station. He added that the station will focus on green economic development, which promotes the use of public transport. As per the master plan, as showcased by Kumar, the station’s iconic twin-tower design is inspired by Modhera Sun Temple. Each platform in the revamped station will have four lifts, he said.

Meanwhile, to curb the traffic near the crowded station, Railways has proposed an elevated network – two accesses from north and south, connecting Sarangpur Bridge and Kalupur bridge. Further, officials have proposed to widen the two bridges to 6-lanes.

According to the presentation, the station with 12 platforms caters to 459 trains and 1.2 lakh passengers daily. Explaining how the project will progress, Kumar said, “We will block trains on three platforms at a time, demolishing the other platforms and constructing new ones. So, for three months, some trains will be diverted to Sabarmati, Gandhinagar and Vatva.”