Punjab would soon chug on the fast track, literally. For, a total of 13 railway stations from the State have been selected for revamp and restoration.
The Union Railways Ministry has shortlisted a total of 13 stations, out of the nearly 90 across the State, where its infrastructure will be upgraded. Besides, the stations will also be provided with the facilities for the passengers travelling by the trains.
The stations, thus shortlisted, include Patiala, ludhiana, Bathinda Junction, Amritsar, Pathankot, Jalandhar City, Jalandhar Cantonment, Beas, Chakki Bank, Ferozepur Cantonment, Phagwara, Rajpura Junction, and Sirhind.
For the purpose, the State local Government director has been nominated as a Coordinating Officer on behalf of the Punjab Government to facilitate clearance from local bodies and other concerned departments for the re-development of these railway stations.
The development assumes significance as the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in its latest all-India survey, has listed the Jalandhar city and cantonment railway stations for poor arrangements in terms of cleanliness in its survey, conducted in January and February, this year.
Beas was the only railway station in Ferozepur division that was classified in A1 category in the survey conducted by IRCTC under ‘Swachh Rail-Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.
The survey was based on passengers’ feedback, where the passengers were asked to rate the cleanliness of the railway station on 40 parameters.
In the survey, 75 A1 stations and 332 Category-A stations were taken in account across the country.
To maintain the cleanliness standards, the officials have already outsourced the cleanliness work at ludhiana and Amritsar in March and the results were positive.
Only recently, the Railways Ministry, with an aim of afforestation on the vast tracts of rail land, had joined hands with the forest departments of Punjab and Haryana for plantation of five lakh trees in the two States as part of the 'Green India Mission'.
Centre is also in talks with the Punjab Government to acquire land to expand railway network in the State.