Chandigarh railway station redevelopment lags behind, passengers grapple with poor hygiene, crowding
Part of the Centre's Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the project was launched in January 2023 with a May 2024 completion target. It includes two G+3 buildings, 30 lifts, 10 escalators, a 72×80 meter air concourse, enhanced parking, AC restaurants, a food plaza, dormitories, and upgraded retiring rooms.
Yet, for many of the 36,000 passengers who pass through the station daily, little has changed.
'I can't use these toilets — they're so unhygienic that anyone could get a UTI,' said Kiran, a traveller to Amritsar. 'The smell and the state of cleanliness are unbearable. You're just forced to hold it in.' Toilets remain in disrepair, with a few cleaning staff visible.
The station's waiting areas are overcrowded, forcing commuters to sit or sleep on the floor. 'There's nowhere to sit. It's so uncomfortable in this heat,' said Harpreet, en route to New Delhi. 'It feels like an overcrowded market, not a train station.'
Platform 1 was shut for nearly a month in mid-2024 for roof repairs, but passengers say there is little visible improvement. 'It just looks patched up. Nothing seems new,' said one commuter. Other platforms still lack proper surface pavements, posing difficulties for elderly or differently abled passengers.
Wasim Khan, the construction supervisor overseeing the redevelopment, acknowledged delays. 'We've made progress, but it's a huge project. Realistically, it will take four years,' he said. He added that work on the DigiRoom and new water supply systems is underway.
Safety remains a major concern, especially for women. 'My daughter studies in Delhi, and I have to personally drop her because I don't feel it's safe,' said Harpreet. 'There's hardly any police or RPF at night. It just doesn't feel secure.'
Minimal CCTV coverage, inconsistent power backups, and a lack of crowd management continue to add to commuter woes. While food stalls remain functional and well-managed, passengers say they are not enough to offset the lack of basic infrastructure.
'The food stalls are fine, but they don't make up for the filth, the lack of seating, or the fear at night,' said Kiran.
Officials from the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) did not respond to questions about the project delays or safety lapses. Station authorities said they were not authorised to speak on the matter.
As work continues in phases, passengers remain cautiously hopeful. 'Trains are rarely on time, and the station is a mess,' said Kiran. 'But if the new facilities ever get completed, I just hope they'll finally give us a station that's clean, safe, and functional.'
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Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Indian Express
Chandigarh railway station redevelopment lags behind, passengers grapple with poor hygiene, crowding
Over a year after work began on a ₹462 crore redevelopment plan, the Chandigarh railway station remains a site of passenger discomfort, plagued by overcrowding, poor hygiene, inadequate seating, and safety concerns — despite official claims of 75 per cent completion. Part of the Centre's Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the project was launched in January 2023 with a May 2024 completion target. It includes two G+3 buildings, 30 lifts, 10 escalators, a 72×80 meter air concourse, enhanced parking, AC restaurants, a food plaza, dormitories, and upgraded retiring rooms. Yet, for many of the 36,000 passengers who pass through the station daily, little has changed. 'I can't use these toilets — they're so unhygienic that anyone could get a UTI,' said Kiran, a traveller to Amritsar. 'The smell and the state of cleanliness are unbearable. You're just forced to hold it in.' Toilets remain in disrepair, with a few cleaning staff visible. The station's waiting areas are overcrowded, forcing commuters to sit or sleep on the floor. 'There's nowhere to sit. It's so uncomfortable in this heat,' said Harpreet, en route to New Delhi. 'It feels like an overcrowded market, not a train station.' Platform 1 was shut for nearly a month in mid-2024 for roof repairs, but passengers say there is little visible improvement. 'It just looks patched up. Nothing seems new,' said one commuter. Other platforms still lack proper surface pavements, posing difficulties for elderly or differently abled passengers. Wasim Khan, the construction supervisor overseeing the redevelopment, acknowledged delays. 'We've made progress, but it's a huge project. Realistically, it will take four years,' he said. He added that work on the DigiRoom and new water supply systems is underway. Safety remains a major concern, especially for women. 'My daughter studies in Delhi, and I have to personally drop her because I don't feel it's safe,' said Harpreet. 'There's hardly any police or RPF at night. It just doesn't feel secure.' Minimal CCTV coverage, inconsistent power backups, and a lack of crowd management continue to add to commuter woes. While food stalls remain functional and well-managed, passengers say they are not enough to offset the lack of basic infrastructure. 'The food stalls are fine, but they don't make up for the filth, the lack of seating, or the fear at night,' said Kiran. Officials from the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) did not respond to questions about the project delays or safety lapses. Station authorities said they were not authorised to speak on the matter. As work continues in phases, passengers remain cautiously hopeful. 'Trains are rarely on time, and the station is a mess,' said Kiran. 'But if the new facilities ever get completed, I just hope they'll finally give us a station that's clean, safe, and functional.'
India Today
14-07-2025
- India Today
Coach catches fire near Tirupati, Railway says service unaffected, no casualties
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Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Need Centre's green nod for Bijwasan rail work, Delhi dept tells NGT
Clearance from the central government needs to be sought for undertaking work on a 3.58-hectare forest patch, which is part of the Bijwasan Rail Terminal station project in Dwarka Sector 21, as it meets the criteria for a 'deemed' forest, the Delhi forest and wildlife department informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT is hearing a fresh plea filed by resident Naveen Solanki. (Representative photo) The department stated that it conducted a fresh assessment using data from the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), the project proponent. To be sure, a "deemed" forest is not a notified or a reserve forest. In Delhi, any area exceeding 2.5 acres with more than 100 trees per acre is considered a "deemed" forest. Similarly, 1-km stretches of roads and drains with the same density are also considered 'deemed' forests. The concept came into existence following a Supreme Court order in the case of TN Godavarman in 1996. Locals have been fighting to save the green patch since 2022, having also launched the 'Save Dwarka Forest' campaign. The NGT is hearing a fresh plea filed by resident Naveen Solanki, who is part of this campaign. In May, Solanki approached the tribunal alleging illegal and large-scale deforestation of a "deemed" forest for the redevelopment of the Bijwasan railway station. The plea also claimed that of the total project area of 272 acres (110 hectares), 95 acres (38.4 hectares) are "deemed" forest. The plea sought that the project be halted. In its response on July 8, the deputy conservator of forest (DCF), west division, said an initial exercise to determine the land as a deemed forest was carried out between January 3 and 5, with 50.79 hectares, across three patches and having a total of 19,387 trees, identified. In the first patch, 5,494 trees were found spread over 14.5 hectares. In the second patch, 6,083 trees were found spread over 16.9 hectares, and in the third patch, 7,810 trees were found spread over 19.39 hectares. 'It is submitted that following the January 2025 findings, RLDA submitted a representation to the DCF West, suggesting some areas might not conform to the status of deemed forest. To address these concerns and precisely identify the deemed forest area based on the KML provided by the user agency, a further analysis was conducted...' said the submission, elaborating that based on this, 3.58 hectares were meeting the "deemed" forest criteria. The project, which is a redevelopment of the Bijwasan railway station, will see an airport-style makeover. It includes a new terminal building across 30,400 square metres (sqm), an air concourse across 12,500sqm and a circulating road network of 123,500sqm. The new Bijwasan railway station will also have eight platforms, up from two platforms at present. While the project was initially awarded to the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) in 2016, the government body was shut last October, following which the RLDA took it over. The forest department also said the process seeking permission for the 3.58 hectares had already started under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. 'It is further submitted that the user agency has applied for diversion of "deemed" forest at Parivesh portal under Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 1980 (Forest Conservation Act) and the same is under scrutiny...' it said. Last February, the NGT observed that the land on which the RLDA is building the Bijwasan Rail Terminal station, is neither a protected forest, nor a "deemed" forest, dismissing a plea alleging trees had been felled in a protected forest. Allowing the project to proceed, the tribunal, however, asked the project proponent to ensure any further felling of trees is done by seeking permission from Delhi's forest and wildlife department. RLDA was fined ₹5.93 crore by Delhi's state forest department in 2022, after it found around 990 trees were felled at the site of the station, without prior permission.
