In a historic initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country on August 6 via video conferencing, his office said.

These 508 stations are spread across 27 states and union territories, including 55 each in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, 49 in Bihar, 44 in Maharashtra, 37 in West Bengal, 34 in Madhya Pradesh, 32 in Assam, 25 in Odisha, 22 in Punjab, 21 each in Gujarat and Telangana, 20 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 15 in Haryana and 13 in Karnataka.

The redevelopment, which will cost Rs 24,470 crore, will provide modern passenger amenities along with ensuring well designed traffic circulation, inter-modal integration and well designed signage for guidance of passengers, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said, adding that the design of station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage and architecture.

Noting that Modi has often laid stress on provision of state-of-the-art public transport and that railways is the preferred mode of transport of people, the PMO said he has prioritised the importance of providing world-class amenities at railway stations.

Guided by this vision, the 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme' was launched to redevelop 1,309 stations, it said. As part of this scheme, the foundation stone for redevelopment of 508 stations is being laid by the prime minister.

"These stations will be redeveloped at a cost of more than Rs 24,470 crore. Master Plans are being prepared for development of these stations as 'City Centres', with proper integration of both sides of the city. This integrated approach is driven by the holistic vision of overall urban development of the city, centred around the railway station," the PMO said.

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