Over 100 year old Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station has been completely redeveloped and is now in the final stage of construction and the project aims to provide better facilities, improved safety and easier travel for passengers while preserving the station's old architectural style.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu recently visited the station along with senior officials of the Ferozepur Division to review the final preparations before the proposed inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is expected to inaugurate the redeveloped station during his proposed Punjab visit in July, although the final schedule is yet to be officially confirmed.
The station has been modernised as part of the Indian Railways' station redevelopment programme and the project has been carried out at a cost of around Rs 98.89 crore to Rs 125 crore, according to different official statements issued during various stages of the project.
One of the biggest changes is the construction of a large double-height air concourse, giving passengers more space to move comfortably inside the station and a heavy steel roof now covers the platforms, offering better protection from rain and sunlight, slip-resistant flooring has been installed to improve passenger safety, while energy-efficient LED lights have been added across the station.
Passengers will now be able to enter the station from two different sides of the city, along with the existing entrance from the Jalandhar-Ludhiana National Highway, a new entrance has been developed from the Ramamandi-Dakoha Road side and this is expected to reduce travel time and make the station more convenient for people coming from different areas.
The redevelopment also includes two new foot-over bridges, one of these bridges will directly connect the parking area with the railway platforms, making it easier for passengers to reach their trains without difficulty and along with this several large structures have also been added and the station now has a 40-metre-wide trough roof covering about 200 metres of platform length, a 36-metre-wide air concourse, a newly built second station building and a much larger parking area.
Parking facilities have been significantly improved, earlier, the station could accommodate only around 50 vehicles and after redevelopment, the main parking area has been expanded to hold around 200 vehicles, another parking area for about 50 vehicles is also planned near the second entrance.
Security arrangements are also being upgraded and once fully operational, passengers will have to pass through metal detectors before entering the station, while baggage scanners will be used to check luggage and these facilities are expected to improve passenger safety.
The station currently handles around 7,500 passengers every day and at present, 66 Up and 66 Down trains stop at the station and these include two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains, one Humsafar Express, one Garib Rath Express, besides several Mail, Express and passenger trains and the station is used only for passenger services and does not handle goods trains.
Railway officials say the redevelopment project is in its final stage however, some work is still pending before the station is completely ready and during recent inspections by senior Railway Board officials and Divisional Railway Manager Sanjeev Kumar, several unfinished works were identified.
Officials found that only one of the eight installed escalators is currently working, similarly, only three out of ten lifts are operational and the installation of a 350-kW rooftop solar power system is also yet to be completed.
Inspection teams also noticed cleanliness and maintenance issues in some parts of the station, broken switchboards, scattered diesel cans, fire extinguishers lying in open areas and accumulated dirt were found during the inspection and railway officials directed staff to immediately clean the station, whitewash the old station building, repair damaged areas, clean windows and grills and improve the appearance of the main entrance.
Some construction work, including plastering around coach indication pillars and cleaning debris near the station boundary, is also still pending and officials have instructed that all remaining work should be completed without any further delay.
According to railway officials, the project was delayed by nearly two years because of its large scale and a fresh target has now been set to complete all remaining work within the next few weeks so that the station is fully ready before its inauguration.
During his visit, Ravneet Singh Bittu reviewed passenger facilities and expressed satisfaction with the overall progress of the redevelopment and said the upgraded station will improve passenger convenience and reflects the Indian Railways' efforts to provide modern, safe and accessible infrastructure while also showcasing Punjab's cultural heritage.
With the finishing work now underway, the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt Railway Station is expected to offer passengers better connectivity, improved comfort, stronger security, larger parking facilities and easier access from different parts of the city once it becomes fully operational.