Puri To Get Odisha’s First World-Class Railway Station, Reiterates Ashwini Vaishnaw

Bhubaneswar: With Puri gearing up to celebrate Rath Yatra with public participation after a gap of two years, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has reiterated that the railway station at Pilgrim Town in Odisha will be redeveloped as a world-class transit hub.

“This will be the first world-class station in Odisha. Bids have already been invited for the redevelopment of the station and the work will begin once the tender is awarded to a party,” he said.

The station will be built on Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer Model (DBFOT) at a tentative cost of Rs 82 crore, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways, had said in July 2021. The deadline for the bid submission was August 17, 2021.

The work includes up-gradation and integrated redevelopment of the railway station spanning 28,574 sq metre and the development of the surrounding railway land.

The multimodal transit hub will be in line with international standards with segregation for entry and exit, baggage security, a check-in area, an information centre, and an art gallery. There will be provision for differently-abled, including access ramps, lifts, and tactile flooring. The model station will also have green building features with sustainable and energy-efficient design, maximum use of natural light and ventilation, rainwater harvesting, and solar energy generation with a minimum GRIHA 3-star rating.

Ashwini, which was in Bhubaneswar for the National Railway Award ceremony, further said that special trains will Puri will be run for the annual festival of Lord Jagannath.