Ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Indian Railways is racing against time to complete works on a new multi-crore railway station in Ayodhya as the government wants to showcase its works in the temple city.
The design of the station’s structures is inspired by the temple of Shri Ram Janmapumi, with tall domes.Shekharand tall columns.
As part of the Ayodhya Railway Station redesign and development project, a new two-storey building will be constructed for the station.
The development of this station is a top rail priority and once completed, it will be one of the most modern in the state.
Construction of the new railway station started in 2018 and is under construction next to the existing station. The cost of the new terminal is estimated at Rs 126 crore and most of the construction work is expected to be completed by the end of March 2022.
Uttar Pradesh assembly elections are scheduled for early 2022.
The development of the Ayodhya station has been among the top priorities of the state government. The entire work is progressing at a rapid pace and will be completed by March 2022.
At present, the daily passenger traffic in Ayodhya is around 4000 passengers per day. The railways expect the number of feet to double once construction work is completed on the Ram Mandir and the temple is opened to pilgrims.
“The new railway station is being built to handle more than 70,000 passengers per day. The station will have all the modern facilities,” said Virendra Singh Yadav, Director of Additional Section for Railways.
Currently there are about 22 express and post trains that stop or pass through the Ayodhya route and six passenger trains also come to the station. Once passenger arrivals are increased, officials said, more trains will be introduced.
This is the first stage of the station’s development. The second phase, estimated to cost Rs 307 crore, will include a large waiting area, a new platform, an approach road and a parking area for pilgrims. Lalu Singh, BJP MP from Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, said the state government is in the process of acquiring land.
Singh refused to link the development of the station to the upcoming council elections. He said, “The BJP never seeks to vote in the name of the temple. As Ayodhya is an important place for pilgrims, the BJP government in the center and the state works together to improve the infrastructure of the temple city.”
The station will be a major hub for pilgrims as dozens of visitors are expected to visit Ayodhya via trains. This will also be the largest stop for pilgrims in Uttar Pradesh.
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