Parliament Question: Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Tamil Nadu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 147 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025 AMRIT BHARAT STATION SCHEME IN TAMIL NADU *147. DR. M K VISHNU PRASAD: Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) the number of railway stations selected under Amrit Bharat Station (ABS) scheme in Tamil Nadu particularly in Cuddalore Lok Sabha Constituency; (b) the details of the amount sanctioned, disbursed and spent for station redevelopment works in Tamil Nadu under the ABS scheme during the last five years, year, district and station-wise; (c) the number of selected stations where Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been sanctioned along with the details of financial and progress of the work; and (d) whether the Government has taken note of the need for immediate upgradation of Thirupadiripuliyur, Cuddalore port junction, Panruti and Pennadam railway stations under Southern Railway and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW) (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House. *****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 147 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025 (a) to (d) Ministry of 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. So far, 1337 stations, have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, out of which 77 stations including Vriddhachalam Jn. and Tirupadripulyur stations of Cuddalore Lok Sabha Constituency, are located in the state of Tamil Nadu. The name of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in the state of Tamil Nadu are as following: No. of State Name of Stations 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,No. of State Name of Stations Stations 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, works of 17 stations (Bommidi, Chidambaram, Karaikkudi Jn., Kulitturai, Manaparai, Mannargudi, Morappur, Pollachi Jn., Polur, Samalpatti, Sholavandan, Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount, Thiruvarur Jn., Tiruvannamalai, Vriddhachalam Jn.) in the state of Tamil Nadu have been completed under this scheme. Further, works have been taken up at 56 stations and 4 stations are under master planning. The works have been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the above stations is as given below: • Tirupadripulyur station: The works of parking area and signages have been completed. The works of entrance arch, portico, improvementto waiting hall, platform surface, platform shelter, toilet, train indication board, approach road and parking area have been taken up. • Vellore Cantt. station: The works for improvement of circulating area, booking office, new platform shelter, improvement to terminal building, platform surfacing, waiting hall, toilet, new compound wall, signages, coach indication board, standard ramp, Divyangjan parking, low height ticket booth, Divyangjan friendly toilets, tactile pathway, accessible path, improvement of landscape and station illumination have been completed. The finishing works have been taken up. • Ariyalur station: The works for improvement of terminal building with porch, concourse, booking office, waiting lobby, improvement to circulating area, platform surfacing, improvement to waiting hall, new toilet, standard ramp, coach indication boards, Divyangjan parking, low height ticket booth, Divyangjan friendly toilets, tactile pathway, accessible path, lighting, improvement of existing Foot Over Bridge, new platform shelter and coach indication boards have been completed. The work for construction of new 6 m Foot Over Bridge has been taken up. • Rameswaram station: The structural works of East/North terminal building, departure forecourt, arrival forecourt, residential tower, sub- station building, desalination plant and sewage treatment plant have been completed. ⁠The masonry works of East terminal building, finishing works of North terminal building, departure forecourt, arrival forecourt, residential tower, platform upgradation including platform shelter and revamping of existing waiting hall have been taken up.At Cuddalore Port Junction, Panruti and Pennadam stations of Southern Railway, passenger amenities provided at the stations are more than prescribed Minimum Essential Amenities (MEA) norms. In recent years, the works for platform resurfacing at platform no. 4&5 and station entrance work have been taken up at Cuddalore Port Jn. station. The work of platform resurfacing at platform no. 1 & 2 has been taken up at Panruti station. The work of raising of platform no. 1 & 2 has been sanctioned and tendering process has been taken up at Pennadam station. 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. Master planning is an iterative process requiring optimization and the time frame and other details for such optimization cannot be indicated at this stage. 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 orstation-wise or state-wise. The state of Tamil Nadu is covered under the jurisdiction of two railway zones, namely, Southern Railway and South Western Railway. For the last four years and the current year, ₹ 5,449 crore has been allocated while an expenditure of ₹ 4,439 crore has been incurred during the last four years and current year (up to October, 2025). Development / Upgradation 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 brownfield 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. *****