Udvada Railway Station To Get Face-Lift

The repair and construction work at Udvada Railway Station, which mainly called for raising the height of the platform so as to bridge the gap between the platform and the train, has finally concluded and hopefully there will be no more accidents or fatalities due to the earlier ‘death gap’. With Parsi Times reporting and campaigning for this cause for over two years now, we are delighted to share that the 123-year-old railway station will now house a good number of some state-of-the-art amenities that promise to make our journey, to our most holy Iranshah, both – safe and comfortable.

This is a welcome decision as not too long ago, the caretaker of the Parsi Museum, Aspi Sepoy, lost his legs to a tragic accident at this very station due to its failing infrastructure. The Western Railway has decided to revamp the structure as well as the whole look of the station and turn it into a ‘Pilgrimage Destination Station’. Having declared Udavda as a Heritage Center, the Gujarat Government has sanctioned Rs. 1.2 Crores for the construction of a new foot over bridge, and a total of Rs. 3.2 Crores to give Udavda station a completely new look, without compromising on its heritage and cultural essence. The amenities proposed at the station, built way back in 1895, include new First and Second-class air-conditioned waiting halls; five retiring rooms where one can stay overnight, as well as provide easier access to the station.

Speaking to Parsi Times, Udvada High Priest and Zoroastrian Member at the National Commission For Minorities, Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor said, “I’m thankful to former Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu and the entire management of Western Railway for completing the work to raise the height of the platforms at Udavda Railway Station. Currently, we have taken up the issue to increase the length of Platform No. 1, which will soon be followed up on. With the renovation of the entire station in the pipeline, the request of halting the ‘Flying Rani’ train at Udavada station has been put in and will soon be taken up for consideration.”

The changes should be on way next year.