Rajkot, June 2 (IANS) Bhaktinagar railway station in Rajkot is nearing the completion of a major redevelopment project under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with Western Railway officials saying the upgraded facility is designed to meet passenger demand and operational requirements for the next four to five decades.
The redevelopment, undertaken at a cost of more than Rs 26.80 crore, is part of a wider programme that has placed 17 stations in the Rajkot Division under various stages of modernisation.
According to Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek, work has been almost completed at 15 of those stations.
Speaking during a visit to Bhaktinagar station, Abhishek said the station had been transformed to provide passengers with world-class facilities and improve accessibility, safety, and convenience.
“Bhaktinagar station redevelopment has cost more than Rs 26 crore, and the maximum work has been completed. The sole objective is to provide our passengers with better facilities and world-class amenities,” he said.
The station has been equipped with separate entry and exit routes, dedicated lanes for taxis and auto-rickshaws, expanded parking facilities for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, and reserved parking spaces for passengers with disabilities.
A garden covering more than 25,000 square feet is also being developed outside the station to improve the overall travel environment.
Inside the station, booking counters have been renovated, and a dedicated ticket window has been created for passengers with disabilities.
Tactile pathways have been installed to assist visually impaired travellers. Other upgrades include modern signage, improved public announcement systems, separate air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned waiting areas, modern toilets, and a VIP room.
Two new foot overbridges have been constructed as part of the project, including a 12-metre-wide bridge connecting platforms.
Abhishek said nearly all civil works had been completed, with only lift installation work remaining.
The redevelopment forms part of the nationwide Amrit Bharat Station Scheme launched by the Ministry of Railways in 2022.
The programme aims to modernise more than 1,300 railway stations across India through phased redevelopment plans that focus on passenger amenities, accessibility, traffic circulation, multimodal connectivity, and station designs that reflect local heritage and architecture.
More than 500 stations were included in the first major phase of the scheme.
Abhishek said the redevelopment had been planned with long-term growth in mind and could support future increases in train services.
He linked future expansion to ongoing railway infrastructure improvements in the region, including the doubling of railway lines towards Veraval.
“When the single-line section up to Veraval is doubled, movement will improve further. In the coming years, more trains are expected to operate from here, and dependence on Rajkot station alone will reduce,” he said.
He added that Bhaktinagar was being positioned as an important secondary rail hub for Rajkot and would be able to handle higher passenger volumes as railway capacity expands.
Western Railway officials said the upgraded station is expected to provide a safer and more comfortable travel experience while helping distribute passenger traffic more evenly across the Rajkot rail network.
--IANS
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