Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Government Policies and interventions

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister stated that the country’s railway infrastructure has entered a new era of modernisation.

• Aim – Development and upgradation of stations over the Indian Railways network.
• Launched in – 2022.
• Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Railways.
• It is to make railway stations cleaner, more comfortable and future-ready.
• Phased Implementation - Detailed plans are made for each station and the work is done in phases, based on the needs of each station.
• Some stations are explored under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• Key Features
• Modern Passenger Amenities - The railway stations are supposed to have better circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lifts, escalators, free Wi-Fi, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc.
• Some stations will have executive lounges and special areas for business meetings.
• One Station One Product Scheme - Local products will be sold at kiosks under the ‘One Station One Product’ scheme, and efforts will be made to make stations look greener and more attractive.

• Seamless Multimodal Connectivity - It envisages improvement of building, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration.
• Special care is being taken to make stations friendly for persons with disabilities.
• Aesthetically Designed Stations- Incorporating local cultural elements and architectural themes in station designs.
  • Example - The Ahmedabad station draws inspiration from the Modhera Sun Temple, while Dwarka station is inspired by the Dwarkadheesh Temple.
• Significance - The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme marks a major step towards transforming India’s railway infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing and modern nation.

References

1. The Indian Express| Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
2. Indian Railways | Amrit Bharat Station Scheme