New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and dedicate to the nation several key projects of the Railways in Gujarat on July 16 via video conferencing. PM will also inaugurate the Aquatics and Robotics Gallery, and Nature Park in Gujarat Science City during the event.
The Railway projects include the newly redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital Railway station, gauge converted cum electrified Mahesana – Varetha line, and the newly electrified Surendranagar – Pipavav section.
The Prime Minister will also flag off two new trains i.e Gandhinagar Capital – Varanasi Superfast Express and MEMU service trains between Gandhinagar Capital and Varetha.
Redevelopment of Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station
The up-gradation of Gandhinagar Capital Railway station has been done at a cost of Rs 71 crore. The Station has been provided with world-class amenities, at par with modern airports. Special Care has been taken to make it a Divyang friendly station by providing it with a special ticket booking counter, ramps, lifts, dedicated parking space, etc. The complete building is designed and provided with Green Building rating features. The state-of-the-art external façade will have daily theme-based lighting with 32 themes. The station will also house a five-star hotel.
Mahesana – Varetha gauge converted cum electrified broad gauge line (including Vadnagar station)
The Mahesana – Varetha Gauge conversion of 55 km has been completed at a cost of Rs 293 crores along with the electrification work at a cost of Rs. 74 crores. It has a total of ten stations with four newly developed station buildings viz. Visnagar, Vadnagar, Kheralu & Varetha. A major station in this section is Vadnagar, which has been developed under Vadnagar – Modhera – Patan Heritage Circuit. Vadnagar station building has been designed aesthetically using stone carvings, and the circulating area has been provided with landscaping. Vadnagar will now get connected through a broad gauge line and passenger and goods trains can now be run seamlessly on this section.
Electrification of Surendranagar – Pipavav Section
The project has been completed at a total cost of Rs 289 crores. The project will provide seamless freight movement from Palanpur, Ahmedabad, and other parts of the country up to Pipavav Port without any change of traction. It will also decongest Ahmedabad, Viramgam, and Surendranagar Yards due to avoidance of detentions for loco change over.
Aquatics Gallery
The state-of-the-art public Aquatics Gallery consists of different tanks dedicated to aquatic species belonging to different regions of the world along with the main tank consisting of major sharks from across the world. There is also a 28-meter unique walkway tunnel, providing a unique experience.
Robotics Gallery
The Robotics Gallery is an interactive gallery showcasing the frontiers of robotic technologies, which would provide a platform for visitors to explore the ever-advancing field of robotics. At the entrance, there is a gigantic replica of the Transformer robot. A unique attraction in the gallery is a reception humanoid robot that communicates with visitors alongside expressing emotions such as joy, surprise, and excitement. Robots from different fields are placed on different floors of the gallery that demonstrate applications in domains such as medicine, agriculture, space, defense, and use in everyday life.
Nature Park
The Park includes several picturesque features like a Mist Garden, Chess Garden, Selfie Points, Sculpture Park and an outdoor maze. It also includes interesting labyrinths designed for children. The park also contains various sculptures of extinct animals such as Mammoth, Terror Bird, Saber Tooth Lion replete with scientific information.