Udvada Station Revamped

Our Community will be delighted and relieved to know that the revamping of the Udvada Railway station, which has been an ongoing project since two years, has now rendered the 123-year-old station the upgraded platform of a ‘Pilgrimage Destination Station’ at a cost of Rs 3.2 crore (in addition to the cost of the complete rebuilding). The project was undertaken to safeguard the safety of commuters, after the tragic accident of Navsari’s Aspi Sepoy, who lost both his legs to an accident at the station, in September 2017.

A Western Railway spokesperson shared that the revamped station has helped the station maintain its original glory under the supervision of Valsad’s architect, Prashant Chokhawala. With a daily footfall of over 2,350 commuters, the new station has been bestowed a new air-conditioned Waiting Hall, a VIP Room and overhauled Ladies and Gents washrooms with all basic facilities. Keeping in mind the Railway Ministry’s directive to develop stations with facilities suitable for pilgrimage destinations, Udvada station is glowing with a new Reservation-cum-Booking Office; Restoration of old seating arrangements and Water Booths; new Toilet Blocks for gents, ladies as well as the differently-abled; and the wall of the assembly area designed with murals, while floral designs on the ceiling.

Most importantly, Platform No. 1 has now been extended to accommodate 24-coach trains for the easy entry and exit of commuters. A boundary wall has also been erected along the Platform and along the circulating area for security purposes, especially for senior citizens.

Two weeks after the tragic accident at Udvada station where Aspi Sepoy unfortunately lost both his legs, our community stood by him in prayer and financial aid to ensure he got back to normal functioning, thanks to the proactive efforts of WZO Trusts Chairman, Dinshaw Tamboly and Iranshah Udvada’s Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor. Sepoy has been a real trouper and brilliantly overcome this tragic adversity to regain an independent and productive life as caretaker of the Zoroastrian Information Centre at Udvada, moving about on his customized, three-wheeler.