New Delhi. Indian Railways is now preparing to take its operational capacity to the next level. Work has begun on a plan to develop mega terminals in 20 major cities across the country. The aim is to double the number of trains and operational capacity by connecting these terminals to existing stations.
Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, reviewed the redevelopment of Ahmedabad Railway Station and the bullet train project on Monday. Following this, he stated that the demand for new trains in the country's major metropolitan cities is continuously increasing. The demand is particularly high from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Surat. Keeping this in mind, the Railways is working on increasing train operational capacity by building mega terminals.
Vaishnaw informed that a mega terminal is being constructed in Vatva, Ahmedabad, in view of the growing passenger demand. This terminal will have 10 pit lines, which will increase the capacity for approximately 45 new trains. Subsequently, it will be possible to operate 150 trains from Ahmedabad. The Railway Minister added that the redevelopment of Ahmedabad Station and the Vatva Mega Terminal project are interconnected. A world-class multimodal transport hub is being created in Ahmedabad with a 16-storey station building, integrating the bullet train and metro. Similarly, mega terminals in other cities will also be linked with smart station projects.
The redevelopment work at Ahmedabad Station is based on the theme of 'a confluence of heritage and modernity'. The architectural design of the station will be inspired by the Modhera Sun Temple. ASI-protected monuments like 'Bhadreshwar' and 'Jhulta Minar' are also being made a part of this project. The iconic MMTH tower to be built on the Kalupur side will be among the city's new architectural symbols.
Sources in the Railways indicated that the demand for new trains in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Lucknow, Jaipur, Bhopal, Varanasi, Guwahati, Patna, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Visakhapatnam, Indore, and Thiruvananthapuram is increasing by an average of 12 to 15% annually. The existing stations in these cities have reached their capacity limits. Therefore, Railways is developing mega terminals here and creating new pit lines, yards, and maintenance infrastructure to enable the running of new trains without delay.
