India’s First Private Railway Station | 18 Nov 2025
Why in News?
Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Bhopal has become India’s first railway station to be redeveloped and operated under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, functioning as the city’s secondary transit hub.
- Located in the West Central Railway Zone, the station was renamed in 2021 after the Gond queen Rani Kamalapati, replacing its former name Habibganj.
Key Points
- The station was redeveloped at a cost of around ₹450 crore under a PPP arrangement between the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) and the Bansal Group.
- It features airport-like amenities such as a fully air-conditioned concourse, high-speed escalators, travellators, premium waiting lounges, food courts, and multi-level parking.
- The ownership remains with Indian Railways, while operations, maintenance and commercial management are handled by the private concessionaire.
- The design integrates solar power systems, energy-efficient lighting, and barrier-free facilities for differently-abled passengers.
- The station strengthens Bhopal’s role as a major transit hub and is considered a model for future station redevelopment under the National Station Redevelopment Programme.
Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC)
- It is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of the Ministry of Railway that has been designed to develop new stations and redevelop existing Indian railway stations.
- It is a joint venture between Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA).
- ISRDC was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on 12th April 2012.
- Its core purpose is to build world-class railway stations that apply state of the art sustainable technologies. The redevelopment effort is being administered as a PPPP project, i.e. a Public Private Partnership People project.