PM Modi inaugurates first 5-star railway station in Gandhinagar

New Delhi, July 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually inaugurate a newly-built 318-room five-star hotel atop the redeveloped Gandhinagar railway station and various other development projects in Gujarat. The prime minister also inaigurated the Aquatic Gallery, Robotic Gallery and Nature Park at Science City Ahmedabad.

Addressing the gathering PM Modi said that "new India's train" is moving ahead on two tracks -- modernisation and the welfare of the poor, middle classes and farmers. "The requirements of the 21st century India cannot be fulfilled by the ways of the 20th century, so the railways need reforms."

The aim of his government was not just to build concrete structures "but we are building infrastructure that has a character," he said, adding that the government has started developing the railways as an asset and not only as a service provided to the people.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor, once operational, would further increase the speed of trains, he said. "Tracks and stations in the country now look cleaner because we have installed two lakh bio-toilets in compartments. WiFi facility is being provided to even Tier 2 and 3 stations. I am saying this with immense pride that this project (hotel atop the Gandhinagar station) is the trailer of the Indian Railways' upcoming new avatar," the prime minister said.

Along with "horizontal expansion" of the railways, capacity and resource building and "vertical expansion" is also necessary, the PM said. "This hotel has ushered in this new approach. Now, even common man will get airport-like facilities at railway stations," he said, adding that such infrastructure is not meant only for the rich but every citizen has the access to such facilities.

The Gandhinagar Railway Station infrastructure with its world-class amenities built for public convenience will cater to the thousands of travellers who visit the Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre in Gujarat.

The newly constructed Gandhinagar railway station hosts a world-class Convention Centre and will act as an important reference point for working professionals and tourists alike. This is seen as a major step towards optimizing India's transport infrastructure.