New building at Ayodhya railway station to be built by December

The Indian Railways has announced that as part of the remodelling and upgradation project of the Ayodhya railway station, a new two-storey building of the station will be constructed by December. The station, being formed in two phases, is likely to help one lakh passengers every day. But, in the first phase, the two-storey structure at platform one could manage 15,000 passengers on an average on normal days and 25,000 on peak days like Dussehra, Ramnavmi, Diwali, Chauda Kosi and Chaurasi Kosi, but after the second phase completion, the station could control four times more passengers. The divisional railway manager Lucknow (NR), Suresh Kumar Sapra, told the media that the new structure of the Ayodhya railway station would be completed by December. It will help render all the requirements of pilgrims like cloakrooms, dormitories, shops, food court, sick rooms, air conditioning retiring room, circulating area, escalators, the new access road to the station, LED billboards, mela shed, parking, and other facilities. But, the two-foot over bridge joining the new building will be made by March 2022. The first phase was likely to be made by June. The last date to complete the work was shifted to September later. With the delay of the project, the construction cost has surged following the amendments in the structure. The estimated cost was Rs 104.77 crore initially, now it has touched Rs 131.97 crore for the first phase. The second phase, which is considered to have incurred the exchequer whopping Rs 307 crore, will have a new platform, approach road, a large waiting area, parking area for pilgrims in the southern part (second entry) of the railway station after procuring land from the state government. Additionally, as Ayodhya has a double electrified rail track, the Indian railways is working to form a single circuit by collaborating with Acharya Narendra Dev Nagar station, Faizabad station, Ayodhya station and Ramghat Halt station. The purpose of creating one circuit is to control a large fleet of trains coming from the southern and western parts of India. The majority of pilgrims are likely to visit Ayodhya via train, although the city will also have a grand international airport nearby the railway station. It will be the largest station devoted to pilgrims in UP. The station entrance dome will have structures inspired by the Shree Janmabhoomi temple. Image Source Also read: Western Railway plans to remodel Bandra Terminus connectivity