Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said redevelopment work at Alwar Railway Station is progressing rapidly under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, as he virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple railway projects worth over ₹400 crore in Rajasthan.
The virtual event was attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav along with senior railway officials and public representatives.
Speaking at the event, Vaishnaw said the ₹112-crore redevelopment of Alwar Railway Station is aimed at transforming the station into a modern transport hub while preserving Rajasthan’s architectural heritage. Located on the busy Delhi-Jaipur route, the station handles heavy passenger traffic and is being upgraded with enhanced connectivity, modern amenities and improved traffic management systems.
The Railway Minister said the station redevelopment has been planned in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of railway stations serving as urban connectors. Entry facilities are being developed on both sides of the station to improve accessibility and ease passenger movement.
Under the project, the station complex is being developed over nearly 16,000 square metres and will feature an additional high-level platform, two six-metre-wide foot overbridges and nine lifts. Dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones for taxis, autos and private vehicles, along with a new parking facility spread across around 4,500 square metres, are also being created to reduce congestion around the station.
The redevelopment plan also includes commercial spaces covering nearly 1,900 square metres, which officials said would support tourism, trade and employment generation in the Alwar region.
Vaishnaw said that under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, redevelopment work is underway at 85 railway stations across Rajasthan, of which 15 stations have already been completed. These include stations at Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bundi, Dausa, Deeg, Deshnok, Fatehpur Shekhawati, Gangapur City, Gogamedi, Govind Garh, Rajgarh, Khairthal, Mandalgarh, Mandawar Mahwa Road and Somesar.
The Minister added that across the country, 1,340 railway stations have been identified for redevelopment under the scheme.
Highlighting railway expansion in Rajasthan, Vaishnaw said the state currently operates five Vande Bharat Express trains and one Amrit Bharat Express. He noted that several new train services have been introduced in the past year, including Delhi–Jodhpur and Delhi-Bikaner Vande Bharat services, the Udaipur City-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express, the Swarna Nagri Express between Jaisalmer and Delhi, and new express services connecting Hyderabad, Pune and Jodhpur.
The Minister said Rajasthan has received 46 new train services in recent years, significantly improving rail connectivity across the state.
Vaishnaw also said the railway budget allocation for Rajasthan has increased to ₹10,228 crore under the current government, compared to around ₹682 crore during previous administrations. He added that nearly 3,900 kilometres of railway tracks have been laid in the state since 2014.
The Railway Minister highlighted several ongoing infrastructure projects in Rajasthan, including doubling works on major rail sections, gauge conversion projects, new railway lines and additional freight corridors under the Gati Shakti initiative.
Yadav said the redevelopment of Alwar station reflects Rajasthan’s cultural and architectural identity and would emerge as one of the finest railway stations in the state. He also said railway overbridge and underpass projects completed in the region would improve connectivity for residents of Khairthal, Kishangarh Bas and Behror.
CM Sharma said Rajasthan’s proximity to Delhi is helping strengthen industrial and transport infrastructure in the state. He noted that industrial hubs such as Bhiwadi, Neemrana and Khushkhera are benefiting from improved railway connectivity and added that plans are underway for new railway corridors and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) connectivity in the region.
