Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Friday virtually laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation railway projects worth over ₹400 crore in Rajasthan.
The key focus of the event was the redevelopment of Alwar Railway Station, which is being upgraded at a cost of ₹112 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Located on the Delhi-Jaipur route, Alwar is a major passenger station serving thousands of travellers every day. The redevelopment is aimed at improving passenger movement, station access, parking, traffic circulation and overall travel experience.
Vaishnaw said the work at Alwar Railway Station is progressing rapidly and the station will emerge as a modern facility while reflecting Rajasthan’s architectural heritage.
The redevelopment plan includes entry facilities on both sides of the station to improve urban connectivity. The station building is being designed in line with Rajasthan’s cultural and architectural identity, while modern platforms, foot overbridges, parking facilities and passenger movement systems are also being developed.
Under the project, the new station complex will be developed over nearly 16,000 square metres. It will include an additional high-level platform, two 6-metre-wide foot overbridges and nine modern lifts for passenger convenience.
Dedicated pick-up and drop-off zones for private vehicles, taxis and auto-rickshaws are also being created to streamline movement around the station.
A new parking facility spread over about 4,500 square metres will be developed to improve accessibility and reduce congestion. A comprehensive traffic circulation plan has also been prepared for the outer station area.
The project also includes nearly 1,900 square metres of space for commercial activities. The redevelopment is expected to support passenger amenities while strengthening Alwar’s role as a growing centre for tourism, trade and employment.
Vaishnaw said three stations in the Alwar region – Govind Garh, Rajgarh and Khairthal – have already been completed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Across Rajasthan, redevelopment work is underway at 85 stations, while 15 stations have been completed so far. These include Barmer, Bundi, Dausa, Deeg, Deshnok, Fatehpur Shekhawati, Gangapur City, Gogamedi, Govind Garh, Rajgarh, Khairthal, Jaisalmer, Mandalgarh, Mandawar Mahwa Road and Somesar.
At the national level, 1,340 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
The Railway Minister said Rajasthan currently has five Vande Bharat Express trains in operation and one Amrit Bharat Express has also been introduced.
Several new train services have been introduced for Rajasthan in the last one year, including Delhi-Jodhpur and Delhi-Bikaner Vande Bharat Express services, Udaipur City-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express, Swarna Nagri Express connecting Jaisalmer with Delhi, Hyderabad-Jodhpur Bhagat Ki Kothi Express and Pune-Jodhpur Express.
He said a total of 46 new trains have been provided for Rajasthan in recent years, improving connectivity and passenger convenience across the state.
Vaishnaw said the Railway Budget allocation for Rajasthan has increased to ₹10,228 crore under the present government, compared with about ₹682 crore earlier.
He added that nearly 3,900 Km of railway tracks have been laid in Rajasthan since 2014.
Ten Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have been commissioned at Marwar Mundwa, Khemli, Bhupal Sagar, Sonu, Hanwant, Sundlak, Mandalgarh, New Saradhana, Hirnoda and Kairla.
Six more cargo terminals are under construction at Jogi Magra, Lanela, Dhankya, Kota Junction, Nawalgarh and Biradhwal, while eight additional terminals have also been approved.
According to Vaishnaw, Indian Railways is working to support Rajasthan’s industries by improving freight connectivity to ports for sectors such as cement, textiles, handicrafts, semiconductors and engineering products.
Major railway infrastructure works are also progressing across the state. These include doubling works on the Agra-Bandikui, Ajmer-Chittorgarh, Bikaner-Lalgarh, Churu-Sadulpur and Luni-Bhildi sections.
Gauge conversion projects include Dholpur-Sirmathura-Gangapur City and Devgarh Madariya-Nathdwara. Other works include the third line between Mathura and Jhansi, third and fourth lines between Mathura and Nagda, and new lines such as Nimach-Badi Sadri and Pushkar-Merta City.
The Railway Minister said work is also progressing on the Rewari-Khatuwas and Ringus-Sikar doubling sections. The Sheopur Kalan-Kota new line, Taranga Hill-Abu Road new line and Umra-Debari doubling work are also moving ahead.
Bhupender Yadav said the redevelopment of Alwar Railway Station reflects Rajasthan’s architectural identity and would benefit passengers from Khairthal, Kishangarh Bas, Behror and nearby areas.
Bhajanlal Sharma said Rajasthan is benefiting from its proximity to Delhi, with industrial centres such as Bhiwadi, Neemrana and Khushkhera being linked through improved railway and transport infrastructure.
He said two major rail connectivity corridors are being planned in the region, including one railway line towards Alwar and an RRTS corridor towards Behror. He said these projects would improve integration with conventional railway systems and regional rapid transit infrastructure.
