Latest news with #ABSS
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Somanna lays foundation stones for railway projects in Bidar district
Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V. Somanna laid the foundation stones for two major infrastructure projects under South Central Railway in Bidar district on Saturday. The initiatives include the construction of a goods shed at Khanapur Junction Railway Station and a road underbridge in Bhalki, replacing level crossing no 71 located between Bhalki and Kalagurki railway stations. The foundation stone ceremony took place at Khanapur Junction Railway Station in the presence of Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj Rahim Khan; Bidar Lok Sabha member Sagar Eshwar Khandre; MLAs Shailendra K. Beldale, Siddalingappa N. Patil, Prabhu B. Chauhan, Sharanu Salagar, MLC M.G. Muley and senior railway officials, including Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager, South Central Railway, Neeraj Agrawal, Additional General Manager and Bharatesh Kumar Jain, Divisional Railway Manager, Secunderabad Division. Addressing a gathering, Mr. Somanna said that the new goods shed, to be built at a cost of ₹15 crore, will significantly boost freight loading capacity in the region. The project is being planned with a long-term vision, keeping in mind freight needs for the next 50 years. Highlighting the cost-effectiveness of rail transport, the Minister noted that it supports small-scale industries in distributing their goods efficiently across the country. The road underbridge at Bhalki, sanctioned at a cost of ₹10.85 crore, is expected to improve road safety and ensure smoother vehicular movement once completed, he added. 'The redevelopment of Bidar Railway Station is nearing completion at an estimated cost of ₹24.35 crore. Similar projects are under way in Yadgir (₹26.12 crore) and Raichur (₹21.71 crore),' he said. In total, 58 railway stations across the State are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). Additionally, the KAVACH train protection system has been implemented across 1,465 route kms in the South Central Zone, with plans for phased expansion, he said. Karnataka has been allocated a railway budget of ₹7,654 crore for the financial year 2025-26, he noted. Mr. Rahim Khan commended the Railway Ministry's initiative and requested the introduction of direct train services from Bidar to Tirupati, Ajmer, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Mr. Eshwar Khandre said that the new infrastructure projects will enhance the freight network and overall railway facilities in the region. He urged the Minister to also sanction the redevelopment of Bhalki and Humnabad railway stations.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Stationed at disadvantage
On May 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 103 railway stations redeveloped under the ambitious Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), of which nine were from Tamil Nadu, renovated at a cost of Rs 66 crore. While the scheme, launched in 2022, intends to redevelop over 1,300 stations in a phased manner, a key necessity of making these stations accessible to persons with disabilities (PwDs), which ought to have been taken on priority, has been largely given a miss in the nine stations in Tamil Nadu. This is despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act making it mandatory for all government buildings to be disabled-friendly and ABSS including the same in its scope of work. Equipped with a checklist created with the support of the Freedom of Movement Support Coalition, a pan-India organisation working on transport equity, reporters of TNIE visited all the nine stations, often accompanied by PwDs, to check the improvements done in terms of accessibility. Much to the disappointment, the reporters found that toilets were inaccessible or locked in all stations, Braille signs to help visually-impaired persons were absent in all stations, only one platform had step-free access in all stations, getting a wheelchair remains a struggle in eight stations, and tactile warnings were not installed as per standards in at least seven stations. Non-availability of space and budget constraints was often cited as the reason for lack of lifts or bridges with ramps. However, even minor inexpensive things were not installed. For instance, improper installation of hand railings, lack of access to wheelchairs at the entrance, and non-availability of designated parking spot, were noticed in at least five stations, indicating inadequate consultation with PwDs during the redevelopment planning. Another indication of the same was the installation of polished granite flooring in many places, including ramps, which can make them unsafe for not only PwDs but also the elderly. Here is a status check of all the nine stations. Officials from Southern Railway said works will continue under ABSS, and issues in any stations would be addressed at the earliest.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Ride easy: reimagining Chennai's future rail networks
For nearly three decades, two facts at odds with each other, yet true, have coexisted in Chennai. While only incremental additions have been made to the vast suburban railway network, the mass rapid transport system (MRTS) and the Metro Rail have been established. The Metro Rail, in particular, has revolutionised the core city travel. In 1993, the metre gauge was converted into broad gauge for operating bigger trains and accommodating more city commuters. Since then, there have been very few attempts to improve the network or passenger amenities. In 2007, 14 years later, the MRTS service was started from Beach to Velachery. It created a scenic elevated traffic-free corridor, but the uptake was not as good as was anticipated. As a consequence, passenger amenities did not go far. In 2025, MRTS commuters still have to put up with badly-lit stations, unpaved paths, ill-maintained parking lots, leaky platform shelters, and the lack of clean public conveniences. The suburban services that carry more than 18 lakh commuters daily remain the bridge between the suburbs and the city. The fare is the most affordable. For office-goers and traders coming from as far away as Arakkonam, Chengalpattu, and Sullurupetta in Andhra Pradesh, the suburban services are the only option to commute to the city without spending much time, or money. But, for a burgeoning city and its suburbs, there is always a demand for more: more lines, more services, and better passenger amenities. The Metro Rail project has revolutionised intra-city travel; over the last decade or so, it has shortened distances within the city. With better passenger amenities, more attention to barrier-free access and better-maintained stations and coaches, this system has become the daily commute option for many residents. The first phase created a 45-kilometre network comprising corridor-I (Washermanpet to Airport) and corridor-ll (Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount). Other lines have been planned and anyone who visits the city today understands that Chennai is in the throes of development, largely on account of Metro Rail. Finally, attention is being paid to the wholesome development of railway services in their entirety, in the last five years or so. Will the rail transport network in Chennai become vastly better a decade down the line? Here are some developments that could make things better for the city: The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) could not have come at a better time. A total of 90 stations in Southern Railway were selected for redevelopment and 15 stations of them from the Chennai Division. The 15 stations are Beach, Perambur, Tiruvallur, Arakkonam, Chengalpattu, Guindy, Ambattur, Mambalam, Park, St. Thomas Mount, Guduvanchery, Thiruttani, Jolarpet, Gummidipoondi, and Sullurupetta. A senior railway official said that at first, 15 stations were selected, and then two more were added to the list. They are Chromepet and Thirusulam. The ABSS is meant to redevelop the stations by showcasing local landmarks. It also seeks to improve approach roads and circulating areas; install food stalls, CCTV surveillance, and digital signboards; increase the length of platforms; and enhance the access for persons with disabilities through the Divyangjan project. Details of redevelopment St. Thomas Mount: inaugurated Sullurupetta: completed Park (90% completed): cost ₹10.68 crore (lifts, platform resurfacing, and a new facade). Thiruttani (85% completed): cost ₹11.67 crore (a bigger concourse, arch facade, new circulating area, paving of the parking space). Guindy (75% completed): cost ₹8.50 crore (a new booking counter, lifts, and platform resurfacing). Gummidipoondi (74% completed): cost ₹15.62 crore (a new pedestrian plaza, station building, new parking space, and lifts). Mambalam (72% completed): cost ₹8.70 crore (a new booking counter on the western side, pedestrian plaza, replacing of the roofing shelter, wide parking area, and lifts and escalators). Jolarpet (70% progress): cost ₹15 crore (a new two-storey station building, additional platforms and shelters, bigger circulating area and a new foot overbridge). Ambattur (70% progress): cost ₹10.48 crore (a new station building, canopy porch and arched entrance, and platform resurfacing). Tiruvallur (68% completed): cost ₹14.40 crore (a new concourse with porch, new parking space, provision of new platform shelters, and foot overbridge). Chengalpattu (65% progress): cost ₹17.74 crore (construction of a two-storey administration building, paving of new pedestrian pathway, new booking counter, retiring rooms, and lifts). Arakkonam (63% completed): cost ₹20.58 crore (a new station building, parking space, renovation of existing station building, and lifts. Guduvanchery (54% progress): cost ₹14.80 crore (redevelopment of the existing building, new entrance with elegant arches, new parking space, and lifts). Beach (44% progress): cost ₹11.08 crore (new pedestrian zones, parking space widening, and resurfacing of all platforms). Perambur (42% completed): cost ₹15.86 crore (a new commercial building, replacement of the old platform shelter, huge parking space, resurfacing of platforms, and lifts and escalators). The Chromepet station is to be redeveloped at a cost of ₹14.18 crore, and Thirusulam at a cost of ₹15.60 crore. Fourth line The Chennai Division completed the fourth line from Beach to Egmore at a cost of ₹275 crore. It will help to operate dedicated suburban and mail and express services on four lines. Egmore redevelopment The proposed redevelopment of the Egmore station, the second railway terminal in the city, at a cost of ₹735 crore. Tambaram sector There are plans for making Tambaram the third terminal and for the construction of a halt station at Kilambakkam at a cost of ₹20 crore. The halt station, proposed and funded by the Tamil Nadu government, will help thousands of passengers boarding the long-distance buses at the Kilambakkam bus terminus. MRTS services The MRTS services are operated from Beach to Velachery. The stretch has 17 stations. The stretch was inaugurated by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in 2007. The project was partly funded by the State government. At the inauguration, Karunanidhi had announced extension of the line to St. Thomas Mount. The announcement gave hope that commuters would get the much-needed connectivity to the Tambaram-Beach section. After 18 years, the project, which was caught in problems of land acquisition for 500 metres for several years, was finally over. But the project has not been completed as the phase 2 elevated corridor of Metro Rail linking the St. Thomas Mount station is set to be constructed above the MRTS line. AC train The Chennai Division started running an air-conditioned suburban train in March this year in the Beach-Chengalpattu section for commuters willing to pay a higher fare. Railway officials hope that the AC services will become popular. In fact, the Chennai Division has requested for the second AC train to be operated in the western section. Central station The iconic Dr. MGR Chennai Central Railway Station is the gateway for passengers arriving in the city. But it is sticking out like a sore thumb. Earlier attempts by Southern Railway to develop this station have borne no fruit, and the station is dirty. There have only been piecemeal improvements. Metro rail Phase 1 extension The phase I extension network has established seamless connectivity to some parts of north Chennai. It runs 9.05 km with one corridor (Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar). Phase 2 The phase-II project will establish a network of 120 km with three corridors: corridor 3 (From Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri-SIPCOT), corridor-4 (From Light House to Poonamallee Bypass), and corridor-5 (From Madhavaram Milk Colony to Sholinganallur). When this network becomes fully operational, it will improve the commute since passengers will be able to change from Metro Rail's phase I network to phase II network and from phase II network to the suburban train and MRTS systems. South extension Chennai Metro Rail Limited has also planned to establish a southern side extension, from the Airport to Kilambakkam (15.46 km).
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Persons with disabilities find access to St. Thomas Mount station difficult
The St. Thomas Mount Railway station has undergone a makeover of sorts with an emphasis on improving passenger amenities. The initiative is part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) project. The railway stations in the city that were constructed decades ago, and have since witnessed improvements in passenger amenities only in piecemeal, have undergone welcome changes, particularly with regard to the appearance of railway stations redeveloped and inaugurated under the ABSS. A total of 15 railway stations are under various stages of redevelopment under ABSS. The redeveloped station has an air-conditioned ticket counter, foot overbridges (FOBs), escalators, shelters, paved parking facility and newly built public conveniences, making commuters wonder if the stations were competing with metro stations. The redeveloped St. Thomas Mount railway station, which was inaugurated along with Sullurpetta by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 22, has, however, been a disappointment for persons with disabilities (PwDs). with regard to accessibility. S. Jayalakshmi, a person with disability, using the Mount railway station, lamented that the newly constructed ticket counter was located at the entrance of the station on Medavakkam Main Road, and the FOB with escalator near Karikalan street, at a distance that PwDs and senior citizens find difficult to cover. While the FOB had been linked to all the six platforms, the Metro, and the upcoming Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) stations, the escalators were, most of the time, not functioning, she said. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a member of the Freedom Movement Coalition (FMC), said the first redeveloped ABSS station remains inaccessible to PwDs because of various deficiencies. She said the ramp to the ticket counter was paved with polished granite, rendering it unsafe, the platform height of suburban stations had not been increased, resulting in a huge gap, and the station lacked a designated parking space for PwDs. She failure to construct a ramped FOB despite ample space availability, absence of lowered ticket counter, and paved parking would pose severe hardships to passengers with reduced mobility. Also there is nodesignated parking. Ms. Jayakumar said that despite the FMC reaching out to the divisional railway manager in 2022 to ensure that stations were made accessible, neither was an accessibility consultant engaged, nor were detailed design drawings or plans shared. The commuters also wanted shelters along with seats to be installed at platforms 4 and 5. where the air conditioned train is normally stopped. A senior official of Southern Railway regarding the absence of escalators in certain platforms said a escalator connecting platforms 4 and 5 is being installed. An official of the Southern Railway said the redevelopment of the station is an evolving process and the complaints the accessibility would be addressed in the coming months.
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Amrit Bharat boost: Stocks to benefit from station modernisation
For FY25, Indian Railways allocated ₹12,994 crore for 'customer amenities". This includes funding for station redevelopment projects like the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). The scheme intends to upgrade and modernise over 1,300 stations across the country. It involves creating master plans and executing them in phases to enhance various station facilities, including station accessibility, waiting areas, toilets, lift and escalator installations, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through initiatives like 'One Station, One Product', passenger information systems, executive lounges, spaces for business meetings, landscaping, and unique requirements of each station. With a vision to transform railway stations into vibrant urban centres, the state-run companies in the railway sector will play a crucial role, making them attractive for long-term investors. Also Read: Four stocks to watch as India's space economy eyes $44 billion by 2033 This article highlights a few stocks that will benefit from Indian Railways' Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Have a look... Ircon International Ltd Ircon International Ltd (IRCON) commenced its business in 1976 as a railway construction company. It was awarded the Navratna status by the department of public enterprises, ministry of finance, in October 2023. It offers comprehensive project management and consultancy (PMC) services from planning to commissioning in the entire spectrum of projects for the construction of railway sidings, highways, railways, and roads over bridges, buildings, etc. Ircon's service portfolio includes engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, which align with the ABSS mission to modernise 1,300 railway stations across India. The company has completed about 400 infrastructure projects in India and 128 projects in 25 countries globally, including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Malaysia, Nigeria, Brazil, etc. It has a huge client base, including NHAI, BHEL, Delhi Metro, Indian Oil, NTPC, NMDC, Power Grid Corporation of India, Nigerian Railway, Bangladesh Railway, Zambia Railways, etc. Recently, the company has secured a contract of ₹253 crore from South Western Railway for the implementation of KAVACH, an indigenous train collision avoidance system. Also Read: Four fast-growing space stocks to add to your watchlist Its revenue grew at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.1% over the past three years, while its net profit grew at a CAGR of 33.5%. The company maintained strong financial health, with an average RoE of 14.4% and RoCE of 17.3%. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd Incorporated in 2003 by the Government of India, it is engaged in the business of implementing various types of rail infrastructure projects assigned by the ministry of railways (MoR). This includes doubling, gauge conversion, new lines, railway electrification, major bridges, workshops, production units and sharing of freight revenue with the railways as per the concession agreement with the MoR. Anticipated turnover for the coming years is projected at ₹ ₹28,000-30,000 crore annually, with a gestation period of three to four years for project execution. Infrastructure projects like Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station redevelopment, worth ₹439 crore and electrification projects of the Southern Railway, worth ₹143 crore, are a demonstration of RVNL's capability to handle large-scale infrastructure developments. This makes the company a strong contender for future ABSS-related assignments. In Q4 FY25, RVNL secured new orders worth ₹6,600 crore, bringing the total order inflow for FY25 to ₹13,700 crore. Indian Railway Finance Corp. Ltd (IRFC) Incorporated in 1986, IRFC borrows funds from the financial markets to finance the acquisition/creation of assets, which are then leased out to Indian Railways as a finance lease. Also Read: This luggage leader is staging a turnaround. But can it overcome its baggage? It is the funding arm of Indian Railways, which provides loans to various companies working in the sector, such as RVNL, Konkan Railway Corp. Ltd, IRCON, RailTel Corp. of India Ltd, Pipavav Railway Corp. Ltd, etc. The company is exploring opportunities to invest in railway infrastructure projects, including dedicated freight lines, high-speed rail corridors, and multi-modal logistics parks. The company received the Navratna status in FY25 and is working towards Maharatna status. Recently, the company secured government approval to raise up to ₹10,000 crore for its infrastructure projects through deep-discount bonds. Its revenue grew at a CAGR of 19.1% over the past three years, while its net profit grew at a CAGR of 13.2%. The company maintained strong financial health, with an average RoE of 13.9%. RailTel Corp. of India Incorporated in 2000, the company creates nationwide broadband and VPN services, telecom, and multimedia networks to modernise Indian Railways' train control operation and safety system. It is a Navratna public sector undertaking and one of the largest neutral telecom infrastructure providers in India, owning a pan-India optic fibre cable network (OFC), which can serve up to 70% of the country's population. Its RailWire broadband service has over 580,000 subscribers. It has executed critical projects of national importance such as BharatNet, National Knowledge Network (NKN), railway signalling, etc. The ABSS emphasises the enhancement of passenger amenities, including the provision of free Wi-Fi, digital signage, and advanced information systems. RailTel, with its extensive optical fiber network covering is well-positioned to implement and manage these digital services. Its revenue grew at a CAGR of 23.1% over the past three years, while its net profit grew at a CAGR of 20%. The company maintained strong financial health, with an average RoE of 12.9% and RoCE of 18%. Conclusion The ABSS scheme offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the role of these railway PSUs in India's rail infrastructure growth. IRCON and RVNL will gain through increased project execution, construction, and engineering opportunities. Also Read: Trent's 1,000% rally takes a breather. Can a Sensex rejig revive its fortunes? IRFC will gain through supporting the large-scale financing needs of Indian Railways' expanding asset base. RailTel will play a key role in providing the digital backbone, smart station technologies, and passenger connectivity services. However, one factor to keep in mind is that any change in budget priorities, political shifts, or delays in project approvals can directly hit their financials. Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals, corporate governance, and valuations of the stock before making any investment decisions. Happy Investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from
