Rly station set for airport-like makeover : The Tribune India

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Rly station set for airport-like makeover

CHANDIGARH:In the next two years, the Chandigarh railway station is in for an “airport-like” makeover — replete with an air-conditioned airspace concourse, new roads, modular toilets, subways, escalators and a food plaza — which has been conceived by the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) to be built at a cost of Rs 135 crore.

Rly station set for airport-like makeover


Kaveesha Kohli

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16

In the next two years, the Chandigarh railway station is in for an “airport-like” makeover — replete with an air-conditioned airspace concourse, new roads, modular toilets, subways, escalators and a food plaza — which has been conceived by the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) to be built at a cost of Rs 135 crore.

The project will be funded by leasing out about 13.92 acres of land held by the Railways around the station. A new road underbridge — from Garcha Chowk to Mauli Jagran Chowk — running parallel to Madhya Marg, will be constructed to make the project “commercially viable”, said an IRSDC official on condition of anonymity. The IRSDC is likely to pocket Rs 700 crore from leasing out land.

The railway station will get two “end blocks”, which will be constructed on both the Chandigarh and Panchkula side as part of the redevelopment project. These two blocks will be connected by an airspace concourse.

“It will be something like you see at airports once you’ve checked in and are waiting to board a flight,” said the official.

The passengers will wait at the air-conditioned concourse — which will be equipped with a waiting area, washrooms, a food plaza and other commercial spaces — before they board the train.

“We want to completely change the experience at the railway station. It should feel like walking into an airport or a mall,” said the official.  

For passengers deboarding at the station, two subways will be constructed to enable a separate exit. The IRSDC will also construct 10 escalators and four lifts on the end blocks and the platforms.

“While planning this, we had two objectives in mind. Firstly, there should be complete connectivity so that the station is ‘Divyang-friendly’. Secondly, with the concourse and the subway, there will be complete segregation of passengers so that the functioning becomes smoother,” said VB Sood, Chief General Manager (Civil) at the IRSDC.  

The development of parking lots on both the Chandigarh and Panchkula side, construction of roads and landscaping will also lie under the purview of the IRSDC. “We have floated a tender for the project and the bid will be finalised by December. So far, three parties have shown interest,” said an IRSDC official.

Till the time the lease for the land is not finalised, the project will be funded by a loan from the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC). Beginning December this year— when the tender is likely to be finalised — it should take 24 months to complete the project, reveal documents accessed by The Tribune.  

Railway land to be leased for 99 years

In February this year, the IRSDC had taken over the Chandigarh railway station with the promise of making it “world class”.

The IRSDC is a Special Purpose Vehicle — a joint venture between the Rail Land Development Authority and ICRON, a government undertaking — with a clear mandate: Develop railway stations without spending much. The IRSDC is encouraged to commercially develop railway stations and utilise real estate opportunities to fund its activities.

Dinesh C Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala Division, said as a pilot project, two railway stations of Northern Railway  were given to the IRSDC for maintenance. The Chandigarh station is the only one from Ambala Division to be handed over to them.

“The idea is that the IRSDC, which is specialised in it, can take over the maintenance-related work while the Railways can focus on the operational aspects,” said Sharma.  

In Chandigarh, the IRSDC will follow a model of “self-development”, said the IRSDC official. The Chandigarh railway station has about 493.60 acres of land of which about 13.92 acres will be leased out to a private builder — “who will be fit to develop the land as he deems fit”, said the official.

“There is a plan to integrate the surrounding areas with the railway station. We want to monetise railway land and make it commercially viable. We are looking at mixed-used development of the land. Normally malls, offices spaces, hotels and even studio-apartments or affordable housing models do well in such places,” said Sood.

The plan to lease out the land had initially met with a lukewarm response, as the lease was envisioned for 45 years and development of residential activities was disallowed. However, the lease was then changed to 99 years and allowing construction of houses made the deal more lucrative, said the IRSDC official.

“To make it commercially viable, we will also construct a road connecting Chandigarh and Panchkula. Earlier, you had to go through the Housing Board Chowk and turn right to reach Panchkula. Now, there will be direct connectivity,” said the official.

“It has cleared the request-for-qualification (RFQ) stage. The request-for-proposal (RFP) stage will be cleared by December. So far, we have shortlisted seven parties,” said the official.

However, it is interesting to note that Rs 700 crore that the IRSDC is likely to pocket from the deal might not necessarily go towards the development of the local station.

“If we think the Kalka station needs uplift, we will invest the money there. Because that station might not have the same amount of commercial assets as the Chandigarh station,” said Sood.  

Facility management

The IRSDC is also responsible for maintaining cleanliness and housekeeping at the railway station. “I have seen a marked difference in the state of the washrooms and general cleanliness at the station in the past few months,” said Rajiv Kumar, a frequent traveller.

IRSDC officials said they had pressed a number of new machines into service to maintain cleanliness and had fixed leakages in the ceiling of the station.  A plastic-crushing and sanitary-pad disposal machine has also been installed at the station.

Initiatives to make the station disability-friendly were also underway.

“Next week, an organisation will be coming here as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to make the place visually impaired-friendly,” said the official.


Was given to irsdc for maintenance

Dinesh C Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala Division, said as a pilot project, two railway stations of Northern Railway  were given to the IRSDC for maintenance. The Chandigarh station was the only one from Ambala Division to be handed over to them.

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