Indian Railways

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 1,340 railway stations across India are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. He said 400 stations have already seen upgrades to their platforms.

The programme is intended to prepare stations for demand over the coming 50 years, while adding modern facilities and improving access for all passengers.

The Ministry of Railways introduced the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in December 2022 to turn stations into modern city centres. The work includes measures to make rail travel more accessible for people with restricted mobility and more convenient for passengers.

Station designs are expected to draw on local architectural traditions. Vaishnaw cited Jaipur’s Pink City style, and said Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jodhpur and Ahmedabad would also reflect their established local design character.

The programme combines capacity expansion with a local-design approach at railway stations, which serve a population heavily dependent on rail transport. It also places accessibility and passenger facilities within one of the country’s largest station-modernisation efforts.

Vaishnaw said redevelopment will continue without suspending railway services nationwide, unlike construction approaches he described in some other countries. Railways plans to make necessary arrangements so passengers can continue to use stations during the work.

He said passenger safety will be the main priority while stations are under construction and transition to their new layouts.