4-phase revamp of Jaipur rly stn begins

Jaipur: Redevelopment work for Jaipur railway station has started and will be completed in four phases by 2026, said officials of the North-Western Railway on Wednesday. From Thursday, reserved and unreserved ticket facility will not be available at the second entrance, officials said.
The station is one of the 10 stations being renovated in the state and will be upgraded like an airport.
“Work for redevelopment is starting from December with utility services like parking, passenger reservation system counters and a few other services being shifted first from Gate 2 in the first phase. The second phase will start in September 2023, when foot overbridges, ATMs, clock room will be dismantled. Like this, work will be completed in four phases by June 2026,” said Captain Shashi Kiran, chief public relations officer of NWR.
The official said the revamped railway stations are being developed like airports with separate entrance and exit terminals, different levels of mezzanine floor, skywalks, shopping kiosks and food court, hotels for executive stays and all the stations will be powered by renewable energy.
“The second gate of the station has been closed for now as construction for new buildings will start there, where the office for the parcel system, railway magistrate’s office and a few other departmental services will be shifted there from the front side. This will help us create space in the front. Work for construction of underground parking will also start which will have a capacity of parking for over 1,000 cars at least. As part of the redevelopment work, a skywalk will also be made connecting the Metro station to the railway station,” said Mukesh Saini, senior divisional commercial manager of Jaipur railway station.
Saini further said the station will be developed like a city centre, which can be used as a recreational spot too with a commercial set-up.
“The redeveloped railway station will have arrival in the front and departure at the rear side. The idea is to develop it like an airport where entry and exit will be different to improve safety and faster movement. Along with this, passenger lounges will also be made,” added Saini.
Other railway stations like Gandhinagar Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur are also being redeveloped. At a later stage, Pali, Marwar, Bikaner, Ajmer and Abu Road railway stations will also be renovated, said officials.