SER GM, BJP MP perform ground-breaking ceremony to re-develop Tatanagar station

Jamshedpur, Oct 11 (PTI) South Eastern Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Mishra and BJP MP Bidyut Baran Mahato on Saturday performed the ground-breaking ceremony for Re-development project of Tatanagar Railway station here.

Interacting with newsmen, Mishra said, "We plan to provide modern facilities for passengers as it was available in airports or various modern railway stations in the country." While the existing main building would be re-developed to a G+6 storey building, another G+3 building will be constructed on the north side of the station, he said.

"Besides, we also have a plan to construct five additional platforms to double the number to ten to ensure free flow of passenger and freight trains," Mishra said.

To a query about protection of elephants on rail track, Mishra said a successful trial of AI-based technology to detect approaching elephants in advance was conducted recently and would be implemented by railways in a couple of years.

Stating that the railway was very much sensitive about elephants, Mishra said a good part of rail tracks pass through forest areas and "we have restricted speed and if required, we even stop trains for long based on information of the forest department about possible movement of elephants." "We are working on a plan to develop a flyover or under-bridge on the rail track for safe passage to pachyderms," he said.

It has been approved, and "we, along with the forest department, are identifying locations to implement it," Mishra said, adding that the railways and forest department are also working to instal AI-based thermal cameras on the track to detect approaching elephants in advance.

About the proposed rail depot of Vande Bharat, Mishra said Rs 400 crore Vande Bharat rail depot at Tatanagar was in the final stage of approval from the Railway Board, and a modern coaching complex would also come up here.

The re-development project, which was expected to be completed in 36 months, is estimated to cost around Rs 284 crore, said BJP MP Mahato.

He said railways would invest around Rs 1,000 crore for re-development of Tatanagar, setting up five additional platforms, increasing the number of escalators and lifts, anda Vande Bharat rail depot..

Mahato thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for agreeing to upgrade Tatanagar station from B to A category station. PTI BS RG