500 railway stations to be redeveloped by 2027: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the government will redevelop 500 railway stations by 2027.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 103 railway stations, dubbed as ‘Amrit Stations’, across the country today. “Additional 100 stations will be completed in the next eight months and

500 stations will be redeveloped by 2027,” Vaishnaw said at a public gathering in Bikaner, Rajasthan.

PM Modi has implemented mega railway infrastructure reforms over the last eleven years, said Vaishnaw. India has built 34,000 kilometres of new rail lines in the last eleven years, more than

the rail network in Germany.

India has electrified 47,000 kilometres of rail network, he added. New generation trains like Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, Namo Bharat have been launched, said Vaishnaw.

42,000 new Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches have been manufactured, offering a safer transport option to the poor and middle class families, said Vaishnaw.

Redevelopment of railway stations is a mega railway reform kicked off by the prime minister, said Vaishnaw. After Independence, it’s the first time that a prime minister has focused on small

and medium railway stations, said Vaishnaw.

In August 2024, the prime minister had laid the foundation for 1,062 stations.

"Our resolve to become a developed economy is growing stronger. We have inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of  development projects worth ₹26,000 crore here today," said PM Modi.

India is spending six times more on infrastructure creation compared with earlier, PM Modi said. The world is surprised by the pace of infrastructure growth in the country, he added.

"India is modernising its train network. Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat, Amrit Bharat trains symbolise India's speed of progress. 70 Vande Bharat trains currently operational. New rail tracks of

more than 34,000 km have been laid. The construction of the first bullet train is currently underway," said the prime minister.

PM Modi said India is modernising more than 1,300 railway stations. "Modernised railway stations have been termed as Amrit Bharat railway stations. 103 Amrit Bharat stations are ready now,"

he said. "These railway stations will display the local art, culture and traditions. Every Amrit station will display India's age old culture and will promote tourism and employment," he

added.