A tender of around ₹1,800 crore for the redevelopment of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) railway station will be awarded in mid-March, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. “Every authority in Mumbai has given its go-ahead for the project,” he said. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Vaishnaw said within three years, India will emerge as an exporter of railway technology which will be a quantum leap from being an importer for the longest time. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants transformation of railway stations first as this is the point of first contact between a passenger and the Indian Railways,” said Vaishnaw adding that the major challenge was solving the problem of space crunch in the railway connectivity sector.
According to Vaishnaw, it's not just about Mumbai, Delhi, or Ahmedabad, but about recreating designs for stations across the country. Huge space will be created in the otherwise space-starved city while ensuring the movement of people is smooth. This is in line with PM Modi's target to change the experience of every railway passenger in India. The Indian Railways has a massive network that handles over 800 crore passengers every year. Vaishnaw asserted that every redesigning project should be undertaken in a way that its heritage is preserved while keeping the future in mind. According to the PM, the designs that were presented in the 2.5-hour-long presentation are good for present-day use, but the country needed a design that would be relevant even 50 years later. Vaishnaw said PM Modi's vision makes the officials think bigger. “Where our thought process ends, PM Modi's ideas begin,” he said. Regarding the Mumbai-Ahemdabad bullet train project, Vaishnaw said pillars have been laid along 152km of the route.