Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate a host of railway projects in Gujarat on Friday. These key projects include the newly-redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital railway station, the newly-electrified Surendranagar Pipavav section, and gauge converted cum electrified Mahesana-Varetha line. PM Modi will also flag off two new trains Gandhinagar Capital-Varanasi Superfast Express and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service trains between Gandhinagar Capital and Varetha.
“At 4:30 PM tomorrow, 16th July, a range of interesting development works will be inaugurated in Gujarat. These works cover the environment, nature, railways and science,” PM Modi tweeted on Thursday.
The Gandhinagar railway station is now set to house world-class amenities at par with modern airports, the government said in a press release. It is now a disabled-friendly station that comes with a special ticket booking counter, ramps, lifts, and dedicated parking space. The station’s state-of-the-art external facade will have daily theme based lighting and a total of 32 themes. The station will also house a five-star hotel which will be run by a private entity, and the entire building has been constructed to house green building features. The upgradation has been done at a cost of ₹71 crore.
Electrification of Surendranagar – Pipavav Section has been done to decongest Ahmedabad, Viramgam and Surendranagar Yards. The project is slated to provide seamless freight movement from Palanpur, Ahmedabad and other parts of the country up to Pipavav Port without any change of traction. The entire project cost has been completed at a total cost of ₹289 crore.
The Mahesana-Varetha Gauge conversion of 55km also includes ten stations with four newly developed station buildings viz. Visnagar, Vadnagar, Kheralu and Varetha.This was done at a cost of ₹293 crore along with the electrification work at a cost of ₹74 crore.
The Prime Minister took to Twitter to talk about the projects. “I have always wanted our Railway Stations to be of top quality, where apart from travels there is a boost to commerce, hospitality and more. One such effort has been made in Gandhinagar. The upgraded station will be inaugurated tomorrow,” he tweeted.
PM Modi will also be inaugurating the Aquatics and Robotics Gallery, and Nature Park in Gujarat Science City. “You would love visiting the Nature Park. It houses a Mist Garden, Chess Garden, Selfie Points, Sculpture Park and an outdoor maze. I specially call upon parents to take their children here,” tweeted PM Modi.