Union minister Ravneet Bittu inspects redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt railway station

Jalandhar, Jul 8 (PTI) Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Wednesday visited the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantt railway station to review the preparations for the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to inaugurate the station redevelopment project on July 17. Bittu, the minister of state for railways, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the prime minister and Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw for giving a "landmark gift to the people of Punjab" and transforming one of the region's important railway stations into a world-class passenger facility. The redeveloped 110-year-old Jalandhar Cantt railway station has been modernised at an approximate cost of Rs 125 crore while preserving its architectural heritage and incorporating elements that reflect the rich cultural ethos of Punjab, Bittu said. The station now features a spacious double-height air concourse, heavy steel platform roofing, slip-resistant flooring, energy-efficient LED lighting, convenient entry from both sides of the city and two new foot-over-bridges (FOBs) of six metres and nine metres width respectively. Other key facilities include a 40-metre-wide trough roof covering 200 metres of platform length (8,720 sqm), a 36-metre-wide air concourse of 1,770 sqm, a newly developed second entry with a 300 sqm station building and a 4,855 sqm parking area. The Jalandhar Cantt railway station currently handles an average passenger footfall of around 7,500 passengers daily. At present, 66 Up and 66 Down trains halt at the station, including two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains, one Humsafar Express, one Garib Rath Express and several Mail/Express and Passenger trains. The station is exclusively dedicated to passenger services and does not handle any goods traffic. During the inspection, Bittu reviewed the passenger amenities and ongoing arrangements and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the redevelopment works. He emphasised that the upgraded station will significantly enhance passenger convenience and stand as a symbol of Indian Railways' commitment to providing modern, safe, accessible and world-class infrastructure while celebrating Punjab's cultural identity. PTI SUN KSS KSS