Title - RAIL NEWS CENTER: 8 UP Railway stations to get world class status

ALLAHABAD: In pursuance of the Vision-2020 document promulgated by the Railway Ministry for modernization, eight railway stations of the state -- Allahabad, Mathura, Agra Cantt, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jhansi, Gorakhpur and Kanpur -- have been identified for being developed as World Class Stations. Once the project gets completed, these stations will be vibrant centers of city commerce, entertainment and social space.

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed recently in New Delhi by the Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs of Belgium, Didier Reynders and Railways minister Mukul Roy. Both the sides agreed to have bilateral co-operation for effective development and modernization of the railway sectors of the two countries.

Public Relations Officer, NCR, Amit Malviya, said: "A total of 50 railway stations across the nation have been identified by the railway ministry to be developed as world class railway stations and eight of them belong to Uttar Pradesh."

He added that five stations of North Central Railway (NCR) -- Agra Cantt, Allahabad, Jhansi, Kanpur and Mathura , Lucknow and Varanasi of the Northern Railway and one of North Eastern railway, i.e., Gorakhpur would be developed as world class stations.

Malviya added that four stations of the Central Railway, two of East Central, two of East Coast, five of Eastern, two of North Western, two of Northeast Frontier, 10 of Northern Railway, two of South Central, 3 of South Eastern Railway, five of Southern Railway, three each of West Central and Western Railway have been selected to be developed as world class railway stations.

Railway officials are of the view that the MoU will surely usher in a new era of cooperation between the two countries for effective development and modernization of the Railway sector. Even Mukul Roy, in his message, pointed out that both Indian and Belgian Railways will be benefited with mutual consultation and exchange of information services on development and modernization of railway stations.

The MoU, according to officials, is meant to knowledge sharing on design and current practices in the field of railway Infrastructure and deputation of specialists and experts.

Report said that the Belgium government-owned companies that will help in modernization, Euro Station and Immostar, have vast experience in the field of development of stations in and outside Belgium. These companies have extensive expertise in transforming historical railway stations into the modern international terminals and the experience gained by them can be gainfully emulated in the country after suitable adoption to Indian conditions.