PUDUCHERRY (Metro Rail News): The Puducherry station is undergoing a major renovation at a cost of Rs. 93 Crores providing top-notch amenities to the rising number of tourists and passengers. The tender for the redevelopment work was awarded in September 2022 and work is making steady progress. A noteworthy event took place on August 6, 2023, when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the station’s redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Recent accomplishments in the renovation efforts encompass several critical aspects:
  •Completion of the new operation building column up to the lintel level.
 •Completion of the TTE Rest Room Pile Cap and grade Beam Shuttering.
 •Completion of grade beam PCC work and Driver Rest Room pile cap.
 •Completion of parcel office column up to the lintel level.
Work accomplished so far:
•Master Plan Validation has been finished.
•Completion of preliminaries including mapping and topographical surveys, drone surveys, DGPS surveys, traffic surveys, tree inventories, and joint inventories of movable and immovable assets.
•Work on the project management services has begun.
•The EPC contractor has been granted the right of way, or the legal permission to enter and do the work, for the building of the New Operation Building, Parcel Office, TTE Rest Room, Driver Rest Room, Officer Rest House, Substation, and UG Sump.
•The construction of the project management site office is complete.
• The site premises has been completely barricaded.
•The project’s stakeholders are invited to a number of meetings.
The extensive redevelopment project has been entrusted to M/s Engineering Projects (India) Limited, Chennai, through an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract valued at Rs. 93 Crores. The projected timeline for project completion stands at 24 months. Additionally, M/s TUV India Private Limited, Chennai, has been assigned the responsibility of Project Management services (PMS), accounting for Rs. 4.06 Crore.
Two terminals are proposed to be built, one on the Beach Side and the other on the Villupuram Side. World-class amenities such a waiting lounge, ticketing area, commercial area, and roof plaza are envisioned for the terminal buildings on both sides. In this building, FOB, an air concourse, enough lifts, and escalators are planned. The G+M+1 structure that makes up the proposed beachside terminal facility has complete air conditioning. The suggested terminal building for Villupuram side is a G+1 structure. For easy passenger movement, two FOBs—one in each of the two terminal buildings—as well as a 36-meter-wide, fully-air-conditioned air concourse at the beachside terminal building are being provided.
The redevelopment plan intends to reduce traffic problems and improve passenger comfort. The station’s landscaping and exterior will be upgraded, ensuring that the new design merges seamlessly with Puducherry’s visual appeal. Easy access will be made possible by wide driveways and walkways, and standardized parking areas will be designated for two-wheelers, personal vehicles, and taxis. A smooth connection to all sections of the city would be made possible by the deployment of feeder buses and e-bus parking facilities, fostering the integration of both sides of Puducherry.
Ultimately, passengers will experience a warm and friendly environment in this roomy and contemporary concourse, which will help to promote a favorable perception of Puducherry.
Govt should recommend vande Bharat express from banglore to puducherry soon.