New Delhi Railway Station to be shut for redevelopment? Railway Ministry issues clarification

The Ministry of Railways on Monday (May 27) debunked the fake news regarding the closure of New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) which has been doing rounds on social media. The railway ministry issued a statement clarifying that NDLS will not be shutting down by the end of this year for redevelopment work, contrary to recent reports in some media outlets.

“Some sections of the media have reported that New Delhi Railway Station will be shut down by the end of this year for redevelopment work. It is to announce that New Delhi Railway Station will never be shutdown,” the ministry said in the statement. 

The statement also highlighted that, during the redevelopment, certain trains will be diverted or regulated as needed to accommodate the ongoing work. The authorities assured that all necessary notifications regarding train diversions and regulations will be issued ahead of time to keep travelers informed. “It may be noted that when a railway station undergoes redevelopment, a few trains are diverted/regulated as per requirement. Information about such diversions/regulations of trains is notified well in advance,” the statement added.

Fake news busted on NDLS closure

Earlier some reports stated that the Indian Railways is set for a dramatic transformation, with the New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS) scheduled for temporary closure by the end of this year to undergo redevelopment. The clarification follows media reports claiming that the New Delhi Railway Station was “scheduled to close temporarily due to redevelopment” as part of a renovation plan. These reports also suggested that a plan was already in place to move affected trains to nearby railway stations, including Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi Cantt, and Sarai Rohilla.

Redevelopment of NDLS under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

Under the Union government’s Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, several colonial-era railway stations across the country are undergoing major transformations. The Amrit Bharat Station initiative aims to reshape the city-station relationship by developing or redeveloping 1,318 railway stations nationwide. Included in this initiative are stations in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), such as New Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, Anand Vihar, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad.

In September 2022, the Ministry of Railways shared photos on X (formerly Twitter) of the proposed redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station. The plan features a futuristic, dome-shaped, glass building, along with a 40-story twin tower, multi-level car parking, and designated pick-up and drop zones. The total built-up area will be approximately 2.22 lakh square meters.

The twin towers will accommodate offices, retail shops, and a hotel, with the railways receiving 45,000 square meters of office space. Additionally, the redevelopment will include 91 bus bays, 1,500 ECS parking spaces, and skywalks for pedestrians and metro passengers.