Railways to spend Rs 612 crore for Gorakhpur station revamp

LUCKNOW: In a major boost to infrastructure development in Gorakhpur, Indian Railways will invest Rs 612 crore in the next five years to redevelop Gorakhpur railway station with aesthetic design and facilities on the lines of modern airports.
According to officials, the railway station will be developed to handle the passenger movement which is likely to grow from the current daily footfall of 92,750 passengers to 1.67 lakh in the next 50 years.
The tender process for the project will be initiated soon.
The renovated station will have a concourse of 63,000 sqm with a seating capacity for 3,500 passengers. During peak hour traffic, the station will be able to handle nearly 17,000 passengers. Currently, the facility caters to around 9,000 passengers. The main station building will be spread across 17,900 sqm area, which will be double the size of the current area.
Similarly, the second entry station building, which is currently spread on 720sqm area, will be expanded to 7,400sqm. There will be 44 lifts and 21 escalators at the station.
According to project details of the Gorakhpur railway station, the parking area would accommodate 900 cars which will be double the number of cars parked now.
A skywalk will also connect the metro station and bus station which will reduce the transit time from half-an-hour to 15 minutes.
"The main station building, having a 72m wide concourse will have all passenger amenities at one place along with space for cafeterias and other recreational facilities. The station building's architecture will reflect an amalgamation of old heritage and modern design," a senior railway official of the North Eastern Railway zone said.