Sabarmati Station Opens ₹334-Crore Upgrades, But Commuters Struggle With Missing Signage

Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Railway Station has entered the final stretch of its ₹334-crore makeover under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with Western Railway opening the primary building to passengers following high-level site inspections this week.

General Manager Ramashray Pandey and Divisional Railway Manager Ved Prakash visited the premises on 11 August to assess progress across the site. While the newly operational terminal houses upgraded unreserved and passenger reservation booking counters alongside modernized waiting halls, passengers on the ground are grappling with basic navigational hurdles.

Teething Troubles on the Platforms

Despite the addition of escalators, lifts, and a broad air-conditioned concourse, ground execution has left daily travellers confused. The transition between platform numbers 1 and 3 has become a particular bottleneck. A lack of clear, prominent directional boards leaves first-time visitors, elderly passengers, and those carrying heavy luggage wandering through active construction zones to find their trains.

Local rail advocacy groups have urged Western Railway officials to install clear temporary signage and station volunteers until full structural works wrap up across all seven platforms.

Upgraded Passenger Amenities and Green Design

The broader redevelopment effort aims to convert Sabarmati into a seamless multimodal transport hub, with the station expected to be fully operational from March 2027. Once completed, the terminal will integrate directly with local city bus networks, parking structures, and dedicated pick-up and drop-off bays.

Key features implemented in the modernised terminal include:

• Broad concourse spanning 7 platforms to streamline passenger movement
• Modernized Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) and Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters
• Enhanced security coverage featuring CCTV networks and automated fire safety systems
• Digital display boards and upgraded public address audio systems
• On-site food plazas, private waiting halls, and executive retiring rooms
• Rooftop solar panels and energy-efficient building features

Rs 113-Crore Locomotive Shed Expansion

Parallel to passenger terminal work, Western Railway is expanding the Sabarmati Electric Loco Shed at a cost of ₹113.63 crore. The facility is being fitted with specialized maintenance bays, automated washing plants, bogie drop pits, and overhead equipment (OHE) upgrades.

The upgraded shed will handle heavy maintenance for up to 300 high-power WAG-12 freight locomotives, strengthening Western Railway's heavy-haul operations across key industrial corridors in Western India.