Rourkela: The railway station in this city, considered the industrial capital of the state, would soon be given a facelift and equipped with the facilities those available at metropolitan cities.
In next two months, rail passengers here will have access to a wide range of facilities with renovation of the station going on at a brisk pace, it was learnt.
With Wi-Fi facilities passengers, who have to wait for hours, can enjoy free internet connectivity. However, there would be a little restriction on the use of internet at the station at the beginning, said railways authorities.
On the other hand, physically challenged people, elderly persons, patients and their attendants won’t have to climb staircases any more to move from one platform to another. Lift and escalator facilities would make their task easier.
The installation process of escalator between platform no-2 and 3 and a lift and another escalator near platform no-1 is going on at swift pace and they would be become functional by the end of June or latest by second week of July. A private firm has been roped in to execute the work, senior DCM of Chakradharpur division Satyam Prakash had said recently.
Besides, the second entrance to the station near Timber Colony and Gopabandhupalli has now been given a striking look, courtesy Rourkela Steel Plant which has constructed an attention-grabbing gate there.
Moreover, there is plan in place to put up two such gates – one at RPF office and another at Sankatmochan Temple – near the main entrance of the station.
Names of the private firms, which would be assigned the projects, are yet to be decided, said officials. Members of the city’s traders’ bodies, rail and road users’ association and several social and political groups had been demanding lift and escalator facilities at the railway station for a long time.
Manoj Sinha, minister of state, railways, during his visit to the city some time back had assured the people of meeting their long-standing demand. PNN
