Major transformation with relation to railways to be witnessed in Vadodara and its vicinity

Vadodara, the cultural capital of Gujarat, witnesses around 200 trains every day while being an important stop on the Golden Quadrilateral line that connects Mumbai and Delhi.

In the last couple of years, Vadodara and its surrounding cities have gone through some major infrastructural changes in terms of beautification of railway station and bus depot, Statue of Unity at Kevadiya colony, and likewise. More so, the foundation stone for India’s 1^st Rail University, that is the National Rail & Transport Institute, was laid in Vadodara on 5^th Sept’18. Vadodara’s Railway Station has been equipped with the best of facilities for passengers along with adding almost 30 new trains with additional stops.

Similarly, the ambitious Bullet Train project that will run between Mumbai-Ahmedabad is slowly taking forms as the set is coming up in Vadodara, Bharuch and Anand as well. The construction work of this train with high speed tracks will also call for the closure of platform no. 6 and 7 at the Vadodara Railway Station. However, to avoid congestion at the station, a new flag station called the Chhayapuri station has been developed. The total cost of this satellite station is Rs. 43 crore and it is situated near Vadodara junction. The new stations will save almost 27 minutes of every train on the Vadodara-Ratlam line.

The iconic monument of India, the Statue of Unity, located in Kevadiya has brought in many viewers from across the country to Gujarat. To ease access in terms of transportation to this tourism landmark, the government proposes to develop a world-class, modern railway station to put Kevadiya on the rail map of India. The railway station will located 5 km from the Statue and will have multiple waiting rooms like general, A.C., VIPs/VVIPs and Executive lounges for senior officers, leaders and foreign tourists. An art gallery to promote local and tribal art & craft will also be developed at the station. Additionally, this project will also be India’s first railway station with a Green Building Certification so that it minimizes the disturbance of the existing ecosystem on the site. The total cost of this project is said to be Rs. 20 crores.

The new projects will provide connectivity to the interiors of the state, as well as give boost to the economy and socio-economic development in the vicinity.