PM to Unveil Nine Redeveloped Amrit Stations in Southern Railway Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across the country under the Amrit Station Scheme through video conferencing on Friday, including nine stations under Southern Railway that have been upgraded with modern passenger amenities and improved accessibility.

The main function will be held at Jalandhar Cantonment railway station in Punjab, where Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other dignitaries will participate. Simultaneously, ceremonial events will be organised at all nine redeveloped stations in the Southern Railway in the presence of MPs, MLAs, railway officials and other dignitaries, while the Prime Minister’s address will be live-streamed.

The nine stations to be dedicated to the nation are Chennai Park in Chennai Division; Chinnasalem and Coonoor in Salem Division; Tirur, Thalassery, Parappanangadi and Nilambur Road in Palakkad Division; and Chalakudy and Angamaly for Kaladi in Thiruvananthapuram Division.

Among them, Chennai Park railway station, redeveloped at a cost of ₹14 crore, has been transformed into a modern suburban interchange with upgraded booking offices, waiting halls, lifts, enhanced platform shelters and digital passenger information systems. Located adjacent to Dr MGR Chennai Central, the station provides seamless connectivity to suburban rail, MRTS, Metro Rail and city bus services.

Chinnasalem railway station in Kallakurichi district has been redeveloped at a cost of ₹15.14 crore with a renovated station building, waiting hall, foot overbridge with lifts, upgraded platforms and other passenger facilities. Coonoor station, a key stop on the UNESCO-recognised Nilgiri Mountain Railway, has been modernised at a cost of ₹12.18 crore while retaining its heritage character.

In Kerala, Tirur station has been redeveloped at a cost of ₹26.55 crore with lifts, escalators, improved platforms and enhanced passenger amenities. Thalassery station has received upgrades worth ₹22.32 crore, including air-conditioned waiting halls and improved circulating areas. Parappanangadi station has been modernised at ₹14.21 crore, while Nilambur Road station has undergone redevelopment costing ₹16.44 crore with improved infrastructure and Divyangjan-friendly facilities.

Chalakudy station, redeveloped at ₹8.87 crore, offers better passenger amenities and serves as a gateway to the Athirapally and Vazhachal waterfalls. Angamali for Kaladi station, upgraded at ₹9.28 crore, has been enhanced with a new portico, air-conditioned waiting hall and improved facilities to cater to pilgrims visiting Kaladi, the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya.

Passenger associations, school and college students, Scouts and Guides, railway employees and members of the public are expected to participate in the celebrations. Winners of competitions conducted in railway schools as part of the Amrit Station celebrations will also be honoured during the local functions.

The Amrit Station Scheme, launched by the Ministry of Railways in December 2022, aims to redevelop more than 1,300 railway stations into modern, accessible and multimodal transport hubs.

The Southern Railway has identified 115 stations for redevelopment under the scheme. With the inauguration of these nine stations, the number of redeveloped Amrit Stations dedicated to the nation in the Southern Railway zone will rise from 24 to 33.