Now, a new body for Mumbai station's upkeep

Now, a Railway Station Development Corporation! The ministry of railways, run by the Trinamool Congress, has decided that there is money to be made from the humble railway station, and will set up a full-fledged corporation to develop stations into multi-functional complexes.

The basic aim of this corporation is to develop more and more passenger-related amenities at stations. “The ministry has plans to redevelop a large number of railway stations in a holistic manner,” said a senior railway official.

“A nodal agency with the required professional competence and a proper policy in place will be the best solution for such a massive national project. The special purpose vehicle will have the participation of Ircon International Ltd and the rail land development authority (RLDA),” he stated.

While Ircon International Ltd — registered as Indian Railway Construction Company Limited, a wholly owned entity of the ministry of railways — is an engineering and construction company specialising in transport infrastructure, the RLDA has been formed for the commercial development of identified railway land and airspace for revenue generation.

The official said as of now, stations were developed under various budget heads and names like Model Station, Adarsh Station and World Class Station, of which the Adarsh Station scheme has been popular with a number of smaller stations.

‘’All these efforts will now be consolidated under one body,’’ the official added.