Allocation of Rs 547 crore paves way for development of 50 railway stations in Assam

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: With the allocation of Rs 547 crore in FY 2024-25, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is now developing/upgrading railway stations in the NFR zone under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, including 50 stations in Assam. The development or upgradation work in the railway stations in Assam is underway.

Indian Railways has launched the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for the development or upgradation of railway stations. As of the first week of April 2025, a total of 1,337 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of which 50 stations are located in the state of Assam.

The names of stations identified for development in Assam are Amguri, Arunachal, Chaparmukh, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Diphu, Duliajan, Fakiragram Jn, Gauripur, Gohpur, Golaghat, Gosai Gaon Halt, Guwahati, Haibargaon, Harmuti, Hojai, Jagiroad, Jorhat Town, Kamakhya, Kokrajhar, Lanka, Ledo, Lumding, Majbat, Makum Jn, Margherita, Mariani, Murkeongselek, Naharkatiya, Nalbari, Namrup, Narangi, New Bongaigaon, New Haflong, New Karimganj, New Tinsukia, North Lakhimpur, Pathsala, Rangapara North, Rangiya Jn, Sarupathar, Sibsagar Town, Silapathar, Silchar, Simaluguri, Tangla, Tinsukia, Udalguri, and Viswanath Chariali.

According to information from Indian Railways, tenders have been awarded for development works at 47 Amrit stations located in the state of Assam, and works have been taken up at a good pace.

The progress at some of these stations can be summed up as follows: At Haibargaon station, works of improvement of the existing station building, parking area, approach road, entry gate, porch, boundary wall, drainage arrangement, canopy, provision of amenities for Divyangjans, baby feeding room, etc., have been completed.

At Majbat station, works of extension of platforms; improvement of station building, waiting hall, entry porch, toilet blocks, platform surfacing, circulating area, parking area, approach road, drainage works, provision of additional platform shelters, coach guidance boards and train indication boards have been completed, and works of provision of parcel pathways, landscaping, water booths for Divyangjans, etc. have been going on.

At Viswanath Chariali station, works of improvement of approach road, drainage works, entry porch, toilet blocks, provision of additional platform shelters, coach guidance boards and train indication boards have been completed, and works of extension of platform, improvement of station building, waiting hall, circulating area, entry-exit gate, platform surfacing, landscaping, provision of water booths for Divyangjans, etc. have been taken up.

At Gauripur station, structural works of the station building and provision of additional platform shelters have been completed, and works of construction of a new foot overbridge, finishing works of the station building, improvement of the circulating area, etc., are underway.

At Rangapara North station, structural works of the main station building and provision of additional platform shelters have been completed, and works of construction of the station building at the second entry, new foot overbridge, finishing works of the main station building, provision of lifts, improvement of entry porch, waiting hall, toilets, platform surfacing, circulating area, parking areas, approach road, landscaping, etc. have been taken up.

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme envisages the development of 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 as necessary, platform surfacing and cover over platform, cleanliness, 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 station.

The scheme also envisages improvement of buildings, integration of the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks, etc., as per necessity, phasing and feasibility, and creation of a city centre at the station in the long term. The priority for development/upgradation of stations is accorded to a higher category of station over a lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the works.

Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, while participating in the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit, stated that Guwahati Railway Station will be transformed into a state-of-the-art IT hub.

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