Work on ‘world-class’ railway station begins, to be ready by April next year

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

By April 2024, the city will have a “world-class” railway station. Construction work on revamping the entrance from the Panchkula side is in full swing.

A proper parking lot, parallel to the building housing the reservation counters; AC waiting rooms, toilets, lounges and a cafeteria will come up on the Panchkula side.

After the completion of the ongoing work, the renovation of Platform No. 1 on the Chandigarh side would be carried out. An executive lounge, a retiring room, waiting halls and five rooms will be built on the platform.

Ahluwalia Contracts (India) Private Limited was awarded the work by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) in December.

Mandeep Bhatia, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ambala Division, Northern Railway, who inspected the construction work yesterday, told Chandigarh Tribune, “The work on world-class railway station is going on in full swing. First, parking at the second entry is being built. The whole area will be revamped, following which other works will be taken up. The project will be completed by April 2024.”

According to the railway authorities, the station is being upgraded on an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) basis at a cost of Rs 462 crore.

A revamped station will have separate arrival and departure areas. A 72-metre-wide roof plaza will be built over the platforms housing a food court and retail shops where passengers can wait for their trains in a comfortable ambience.

Two state-of-the-art foot overbridges (FOBs) will also be built. The railway station will be integrated with other modes of transportation wherever possible and upgraded in a unifying grid system to ensure structural modularity.

The railway station caters to residents of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, and is part of Ambala division of Northern Railway.

State-of-the-art facilities to come up

The upgraded station will have state-of-the-art lobbies, a food court, a paid lounge, an enquiry counter, office and retail spaces, separate arrival and departure areas.

Rs 462-crore project

According to the railway authorities, the station is being upgraded on an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) basis at a cost of Rs 462 crore.