An artist's impression of New Delhi Railway Station post-revamp.
Union Railway Minister Piyush Goel has revealed what New Delhi Railway Station could look like in a few years once it is revamped according to the Central government's plan. The swanky, futuristic new landmark of the national capital is likely to be a world away from today's congested, dusty one if his projection is anything to go by.
The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is set to hold virtual roadshows for the 95-year-old station's redevelopment, seeking participation from investors and developers the world over in the estimated $680 million project. The online events will be organised between January 14 and 19 and will seek bids for 61 other such projects, too.
Based on this Mr Goyal on Thursday tweeted a few pictures - artists' impressions - of what the station would look like, saying, "Envisaging an enriched passenger experience with complete integration of different modes of transport, take a look at the future of New Delhi Railway Station."
The RLDA's roadshows are expected to elicit interest from investors and developers from countries like Singapore, Australia, Dubai, and Spain, to discuss the project concept and the proposed transaction structure, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.
"The project is attracting interest from various stakeholders, and we intend to sustain the momentum through virtual roadshows," RLDA Vice-Chairman Ved Parkash Dudeja said in the release.
RLDA is a statutory body set up in 1989 under the Railway Ministry to develop assets based on the national transporter's land bank that could be put to commercial use to generate revenue.
New Delhi Railway Station would be developed on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer model, RLDA has said, for a concession period of 60 years. The project is expected to incur a capital expenditure of around $680 million, the release said.
The station, located in the heart of Delhi, is close to the national capital's prime commercial hub, Connaught Place, and is connected to the Indira Gandhi International Airport through a Delhi Metro line. It was opened in 1926 and handles around 5.2 lakh passengers every single day arriving or departing on over 350 trains, according to Norther Railways.
The pre-bid meet for the project, organised last September, saw participation from Adani, GMR, JKB Infra, Arabian Construction Company, and Anchorage.