Thiruvananthapuram: Four Railway stations from the state — Ernakulam Junction, Kozhikode, Kottayam and Palakkad — have been selected by the Railway ministry to be redeveloped into world-class transit hubs. They are among the 90 such stations selected by the ministry for redevelopment. According to a statement from the ministry, efforts would be made to showcase local culture or history in the station façade. Southern Railways has been given the charge of redeveloping the four stations in the state, said sources.
As part of the redevelopment, passenger amenities at these railway stations would be enhanced. These include CCTV cameras, Wifi, renovation of the station buildings, modular water kiosks, water ATMs, LED lights, lifts, escalators, stainless steel benches and modular catering kiosks, sources said. Sources said that the local cultural elements that are to be reflected in the four stations are being worked out. The elements for the development would reflect local art forms specific to the region, history, cultural diversity and any other relevant facts that can be showcased, sources said.
For instance Aurangabad station would be developed on the lines of Ajantha or Ellora; Agra station on lines of Taj Mahal and Ujjain station on lines of Mahakaleshwar temples. Nagpur, known for its oranges, will have a big orange in the premises. Since Belgaum has history of Mahatma Gandhi visiting there, Belgaum station to have a big charkha at the front. Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is keeping elements of local heritage in façade and redevelopment of station buildings.
