The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has once again requested proposals for the reconstruction of the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). The railway project, worth Rs 4,700 crore, had requested bids in December last year, with reconstruction set to commence by the end of the fiscal year. However, the tender was withdrawn in February of this year. After failing to receive suitable bids for the project, the RLDA decided to divide the tenders into smaller portions and re-issue them, according to sources.
This time, the rail body has issued a tender for a project of Rs 2,469 crore. The reconstruction project will provide the NDLS with two station buildings on the Paharganj and Ajmeri gate sides, an air-concourse with arrival and departure plazas, and a waiting space.
Elevated and on-ground road networks will allow seamless connectivity to the station while also reducing traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
According to officials, one of the project’s goals would be to decongest the neighborhood, which is now the biggest difficulty. “The problem here is that we are placed in a busy neighborhood. So, the station should decongest not only railway work but also railway transportation,” Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at an Indian Express Idea Exchange event in January of this year.
“The prime minister’s mandate is obvious. He argues the station must connect both sides of the city. It must become the city core. It must facilitate all types of movement in that location. According to officials, the station’s redevelopment intends to transform it into an integrated transportation hub that seamlessly connects rail, metro, bus, and other modes of transportation, ensuring passengers’ convenience and hassle-free connectivity.