Two Railway Stations of Begusarai will be Modernized | 03 Jan 2023

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on January 2, 2023, the Ministry of Railways has prepared a new policy called 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme' for modernization of stations, in which two stations of Begusarai in Bihar have been included in the list of 15 stations selected by Sonpur division.

Key Points

• Under the 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme', Lakhminia and Sahebpur Kamal stations located on Barauni-Katihar section of Bihar will be developed under the Amrut Bharat Station Scheme, which will be upgraded with the availability of various types of high capacity new facilities as well as the existing facilities.
• According to the information, the Ministry of Railways has developed a new plan to modernize more than one thousand small stations in the coming year. The scheme will be part of the Railway Ministry's Station Redevelopment Mission and Amrut Bharat Station Scheme.
• The objective of the scheme is to prepare master plans of railway stations and implement master plans at various stages to enhance the facilities.
• With the introduction of new facilities at the station, the old facilities will also be upgraded under this scheme. Amrut Bharat Station Scheme envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with a long term vision.
• Under this scheme, efforts will be made to club the waiting rooms of different grades and provide good cafeteria and retail facilities as far as possible. High level platforms (760-840 mm) will be built at all categories of stations and the length of the platforms will generally be six hundred meters. Free Wi-Fi facility will be available at the station, for which towers of 5G network will be installed.
• Under the 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme', special care will be taken of women and disabled people. For this, adequate number of toilets will be built for women and disabled people at all categories of stations. Arrangements will be made to ensure properly designed signage, walkways, well-planned parking areas, better lighting by widening the roads, removing unwanted structures. Facilities for the disabled at the stations will be as per the guidelines issued by the Railway Board from time to time.
• Under this scheme, old or dilapidated buildings will be used for high priority passenger related activities. The waiting rooms will be divided through small divisions and there will also be spaces for executive lounges and small business meetings at the station. The station will be decorated with greenery and local art and cultural elements to make the passengers feel pleasant.