The government on Monday clarified that New Delhi Railway Station will not undergo a complete shutdown for renovation. This comes after few media reports claimed that the station will be shut down by the end of this year for redevelopment work.
"It is to announce that New Delhi Railway Station will never be shutdown," a statement from the Ministry of Railways said.
"It may be noted that when a railway station undergoes redevelopment, a few trains are diverted/regulated as per requirement. Information about such diversions/regulations of trains is notified well in advance," it added.
Earlier, a few reports speculated about the temporary closure of operations from the New Delhi station and relocation of train services to nearby stations like Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Cantonment, and Sarai Rohilla.
"Such reports are misleading and cause unnecessary confusion among common people," Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, told news agency PTI.
The Railway Ministry launched the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) in 2023 and as of now 1,321 stations, out of a total of 7,000, have been identified for redevelopment in different railway zones and divisions across the country. New Delhi station is also among them.
While many of these stations are at different stages of development, the work is yet to be started at some of the stations. The scheme aims at improving passenger facilities in view of the increased footfall over the years.
In September 2022, the Ministry of Railways shared photos on X, formerly Twitter, of the proposed redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station. The planned redevelopment aims to transform the station into a modern travel hub with enhanced amenities.
Marking a New Era: Proposed design of the to-be redeveloped New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). pic.twitter.com/i2Fll1WG59
September 3, 2022(With PTI inputs)
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.