Mendipathar railway station in Meghalaya was among the 56 railway stations under Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) which will be re-developed under a Central government initiative called ‘Amrit Bharat Station’ Scheme.
The foundation stone for re-development of 56 stations was laid today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Of the 56 stations, 32 are in Assam, three in Tripura, 16 in West Bengal, three in Bihar and one each in Nagaland and Meghalaya.
Mendipathar railway station in North Garo Hills is the first and only railway station in Meghalaya. The train station was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on November 30, 2014.
According to the NFR, Rs 5100 crore has been allocated for the re-development of 91 stations under NFR of which Rs 1960 crore will be utilised for re-development of these 56 stations.
The scheme envisages development of railway stations on a continuous basis with a long-term approach.
It involves preparation of Master Plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift, escalators, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, better passenger information systems, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping etc. keeping in view the necessity at each such station.
Further, the scheme envisages improvement of building, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for specially-abled persons, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballast less tracks, Roof Plazas as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centers at the station in the long term.
The redevelopment will provide modern passenger amenities along with ensuring well-designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and signage for the guidance of passengers. The design of the station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture.
