New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated and dedicated to the nation the re-developed Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal. 


Governor Mangubhai Patel, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present at the occasion.


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Speaking at the inauguration of the re-developed Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal, the Prime Minister said, "This historic railway station in Bhopal has not just been revamped but its pride has been enhanced by adding the name of Ginnaurgarh Queen. The pride of Gondwana has been added to the pride of Indian Railways," news agency ANI reported.


"Today the country's first ISO certified as Rani Kamalapati Railway Station, the country's first PPP model based railway station has been dedicated to the nation. The facilities which were once available in the airport are now available in the railway station," PM Modi added.


He further stated that "today's India is not only making record investments for the construction of modern infrastructure, but it is also ensuring that projects are not delayed, there are no obstacles. PM Gatishakti National Master Plan started recently will help the country in fulfilling this resolution." 


Recounting the issues people faced while traveling in trains, PM Modi said: "6 years back those who had some work with Indian Railways used to be seen cursing it. Crowded stations, filth, hours of tension while waiting for trains, inconvenience of seating-eating facilities, filth inside trains, the tension of safety used to come to mind when Railway was spoken of".


"People had lost hopes of any change in the situation. They had made peace with it, that it will be as it was. But when the nation gets connected for realisation of resolves, then changes come certainly, then changes definitely take place. We have been seeing this in the past few years," he emphasised, as quoted by ANI.


The Prime Minister is in Bhopal on the occasion of 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas', celebrated on the birth anniversary of the tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.


Rani Kamlapati Railway Station is the first world-class model station in the country and has all the facilities that are available at international airports. It has been developed under a public-private partnership and built by a private company.


The total cost of the station project is around Rs 450 crore.


To control the crowd, separate entry and exit gates are there. Escalators and lifts have been installed at the station to reach the platform.


A seating arrangement of 700 to 1,100 passengers has been made in the open concourse. For information about the movement of trains, display boards with different languages have been installed throughout the station.


The station will also boast of food courts, restaurants, air-conditioned waiting rooms, dormitory, VIP lounge. Around 160 CCTV cameras have also been installed at the station to keep round-the-clock surveillance. 


(With Agency Inputs)