Parliament Question: Adarsh Stations in Tamil Nadu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4392 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025 ADARSH STATIONS IN TAMIL NADU 4392. SHRI RAJA A: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the status of development works undertaken under Adarsh Station Scheme in the State of Tamil Nadu; (b) the number of Adarsh stations inaugurated in the current year/ready for inauguration in the said State; and (c) whether the Government has any plan for including more stations in Tamil Nadu under the said Scheme in view of increasing number of passengers and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (c) Presently, stations are being developed under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. To enhance customer experience and provide better amenities, Indian Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations. The master planning includes:  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas  Integration of station with both sides of city  Improvement of station building  Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths  Provision of wider Foot Over Bridge/air concourse commensurate with passenger traffic  Provision of lift/escalators/ramp  Improvement /Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms  Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’  Parking areas, Multimodal integration  Amenities for Divyangjans  Better passenger information systems  Provision of executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term.Under this scheme, 77 stations located in the state of Tamil Nadu have been identified. List of stations identified under this scheme in the state of Tamil Nadu is as under: No. of Names of Amrit Stations State Amrit Stations Tamil 77 Ambasamudram, Ambattur, Arakkonam Jn, Nadu Ariyalur, Avadi, Bommidi, Chengalpattu Jn, Chennai Beach, Chennai Egmore, Chennai Park, Chidambaram, Chinna Salem, Chrompet, Coimbatore Jn, Coimbatore North, Coonoor, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Erode Jn., Guduvancheri, Guindy, Gummidipundi, Hosur, Jolarpettai Jn, Kanniyakumari Terminus, Karaikkudi Jn, Karur Jn, Katpadi Jn, Kovilpatti, Kulitturai, Kumbakonam, Lalgudi, Madurai Jn, Mambalam, Manaparai, Mannargudi, Mayiladuturai Jn, Mettupalayam, Morappur, Nagercoil Jn, Namakkal, Palani, Paramakkudi, Perambur, Podanur Jn., Pollachi Jn, Polur, Pudukkottai, Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central, Rajapalayam, Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Salem, Samalpatti, Sholavandan, Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount, Tambaram, Tenkasi, Thanjavur Jn, Thiruvarur Jn., Tiruchendur, Tirunelveli Jn, Tirupadripulyur,Tirupattur, Tiruppur, Tirusulam, Tiruttani, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Tuticorin, Udagamandalam, Vellore Cantt., Villupuram Jn., Virudhunagar, Vriddhachalam Jn. Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in the state of Tamil Nadu have been taken up at a good pace. Till now, phase-I works of 09 stations (Chidambaram, Kulitturai, Mannargudi, Polur, Samalpatti, Srirangam, St. Thomas Mount, Tiruvannamalai and Vriddhachalam Junction) in the state of Tamil Nadu have been completed under this scheme. The works at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of above stations is as given below:  Morappur station: The works for improvement of new station building, circulating area, parking area, platform shelter, Divyangjan parking, ramps and low height ticket booth, help booth have been completed. The works of improvement of platform surfacing, waiting hall, toilet, signages, station illumination, Divyangjan friendly toilets, water booths, Foot Over Bridge and work of lift have been taken up.  Bommidi station: The works for improvement of station building, 6m wide Foot Over Bridge, circulating area, parking area, platform shelter, platform surfacing, waiting hall, toilet, signages, Divyanjan parking, ramps and low height ticket booth, lighting, tactile guide, Divyangajan friendly toilets, water booths have been completed. Theworks for improvement of lift, Braille maps and signages have been taken up.  Tiruvarur Junction station: The works for improvement of station building concourse, booking office, waiting lobby, approach road paver block, landscape, platform shelter & surfacing, waiting hall false ceiling, granite flooring, wall tiles, painting, signages, non- slippery surfaces have been completed. The works for improvement of Divyangjan facilities such as lighting, tactile guide, accessible path, standard ramp, coach indication boards, Divyanjan parking, low height ticket booth, help booth, water booths and station illumination have been taken up.  Vellore Cantonment station: The works for improvement of circulating area, booking office, terminal building elevation, new platform shelter, improvement to platform surfacing, waiting hall, new toilet, new arch, new compound wall, signages, standard ramp, coach indication boards, Divyangjan parking, low height ticket booth, Divyangjan friendly toilets, tactile pathway, accessible path, non- slippery floor surface have been completed. The works for improvement of landscape, procurement of furniture and station illumination have been taken up.  Ariyalur station: The works for improvement of terminal building with porch, concurse, booking office, waiting lobby, improvement to circulating area & platform surfacing, improvement to waiting hall, new arch, new toilet, standard ramp, coach indication boards, Divjangjan parking, low height ticket booth, Divyangjan friendlytoilets, tactile pathway, accessible path, lighting have been completed. The works for improvement of new Foot Over Bridge, new platform shelter and coach indication boards have been taken up. Further, development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter- se priority and availability of funds. The priority for development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations is accorded to higher category of station over lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the works. Funds allotment: Indian Railways is committed to provide enhanced and modern amenities to passengers. During recent years, large investments have been made by Ministry of Railways for upgradation of customer amenities as compared earlier period. Expenditure under Plan Head–53 ‘Customer Amenities’ during 2004-14, 2014-25 and 2025-26 is as under: Expenditure under Plan Head–53 ‘Customer Period Amenities’ 2004-14 ₹ 6,733 crores 2014-25 ₹ 35,591 crores 2025-26 ₹ 3,701 crores (up to July, 2025)Further, development / upgradation / modernization of stations including Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53 ‘Customer Amenities’. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan Head-53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not work-wise or station-wise or state-wise. The state of Tamil Nadu is covered under two zones viz. Southern Railway and South Western Railway. For these zones, an allocation of ₹1,571crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26, out of which an expenditure (up to July, 2025) of ₹ 496 crore has been incurred so far. Development / Redevelopment / Upgradation / Modernisation of Railway Stations is complex in nature involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory clearances such as fire clearance, heritage, tree cutting, airport clearance etc. The progress also gets affected due to brown field related challenges such as shifting of utilities (involving water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipe lines, power/signal cables etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close proximity of tracks and high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the completion time. Therefore, no time frame can be indicated at this stage. *****