PM Modi inaugurates Ayodhya airport, redeveloped railway station

His arrival in the temple town was followed by a roadshow from the airport to the railway station, when he was greeted by a large number of people who showered flower petals and raised slogans.

Along with this, Modi also witnessed cultural performances along the route. The airport and redeveloped railway station were inaugurated after the roadshow.

He was received at the Ayodhya airport by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

At the airport inauguration, Modi was accompanied by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen (Retired) V K Singh, Adityanath and other leaders.

The facade of the airport terminal building is heavily influenced by the architecture of the Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya, for which the idol consecration ceremony will take place on January 22, 2024. The interiors of the airport are decorated with paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram.

The Phase-1 of the airport has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1,450 crore, according to officials. The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6,500 sq metre, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually.

The officials added that the airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism, business activities and employment opportunities.

At the railway station, Modi was accompanied by Adityanath, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and others. He took a tour of the station, and was briefed by Vaishnaw about the facility.

The Phase-I of the redeveloped station — Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station — has been completed at a cost of more than Rs 240 crore, officials said. The building has three storeys, and has modern features like lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, waiting halls, cloak rooms, and rooms for child-care. Its facade is inspired by traditional temple architecture.

The station building is also “accessible for all” and an “IGBC certified green station building”, according to officials quoted by news agency PTI.

Modi flagged off two new Amrit Bharat trains — the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express and the Malda Town-Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express.

He also flagged off six new Vande Bharat Trains. These include the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, the Amritsar-Delhi Vande Bharat Express, the Coimbatore-Bangalore Cantt Vande Bharat Express, the Mangalore-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, the Jalna-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express and the Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Vande Bharat Express.

The projects inaugurated by Modi today include those worth about Rs 11,100 crore for the development of Ayodhya and its surrounding areas, and projects worth about Rs 4,600 crore related to other works across Uttar Pradesh.

(With PTI inputs)

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