Amidst the city of Lucknow, a rejuvenated Gomti Nagar Railway station is set to unveil its opulence, resembling airport-like amenities, under the auspices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 26.
Aditya Kumar, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) for North Eastern Railway (NER) in Lucknow, conveyed, “The inauguration of the station by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will transpire via video conferencing.”
The Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, will grace his constituency (Lucknow) to formally inaugurate the station, an endeavor he meticulously supervised. The grand event may also witness the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as per official statements.
Our team at HT meticulously explored the entire station in advance of its public dedication, discovering that the station’s entrance evokes an ambiance akin to an airport. Pankaj Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer of NER in Gorakhpur, elucidated, “The distinctive feature of the station lies in the segregation of arrivals and departures. An elevated pathway caters to arrivals, while departures are facilitated through the ground floor of the terminal buildings on both flanks.”
Singh added, “While the Charbagh railway station stands as a testament to the city’s heritage, Gomti Nagar is poised to be a symbol of the new Lucknow with its contemporary amenities.”
Spanning across 10 acres, a staggering ₹350 crore has been invested in the station’s refurbishment over the past half-decade. The avant-garde facilities encompass a 32-meter north terminal (G+2) structure on the Vibhuti Khand side, accompanied by a 458-meter flyover on the first floor dedicated to passenger arrivals, complete with a driveway. Adjacent to the terminal building, the Vibhuti Khand side hosts two commercial complexes (R1 and R2 G+4 buildings) with a cumulative capacity of 177 shops.
Sudhir Singh, Chief Project Manager at Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), responsible for the renovation, shared, “Out of the 177 shops, 154 have been leased for a period of 60 years, generating a revenue of ₹123 crore.”
R1 and R2 share a common basement, providing a parking facility with a capacity for 750 vehicles. Singh noted that approximately 1,000 laborers and 50 engineers were engaged in this comprehensive facelift project.
The north terminal boasts a spacious waiting area featuring modern ceilings, glass walls, and an expansive food plaza with a mall-like sunroof offering panoramic views of nearby high-rise structures in Vibhuti Khand. A substantial concourse, with a width of 28 meters, seamlessly connects the two terminals and six platforms, incorporating stairs, escalators, and lifts. Additional amenities include metal detectors, bag scanners, dedicated facilities for the differently-abled, and an extensive network of 250-300 CCTV cameras.
“The renovation project is unfolding in two phases, with phase 1 now concluded and handed over by RLDA to NER. Upon the completion of the entire station’s refurbishment, a total of 26 lifts and 21 escalators will be operational,” revealed railway officials.