Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has invited bids for the redevelopment of Puri Railway Station with the objective of providing best-in-class amenities to passengers and enhancing the travel experience.

The station will be redeveloped at an estimated cost of Rs 82 crore and slated to be built on design, build, finance, operate and transfer model.

The scope of work includes the upgradation and integrated redevelopment of the Puri Railway Station spanning 28,574 sqm and the development of the surrounding railway land. The pre-bid meeting for this is scheduled for 15 July and the last date for the bid submission is 17 August 2021.

“Puri is a historic city and a renowned tourist hub. The redevelopment of Puri station will bolster tourism prospects and position it among the leading destinations for religious tourism. The commercial development will also lead to a surge in business activities, boost real estate and generate employment in the region,” said RLDA vice chairman Ved Parkash Dudeja.

The station is envisaged as a multimodal transit hub in line with international standards with segregation for entry and exit, baggage security, check-in area, an information centre/enquiry centre and art gallery.

It will have provision for differently-abled, including access ramps, lifts and tactile flooring. It will also have green building features with sustainable and energy-efficient design, maximum use of natural light and ventilation, rainwater harvesting, solar energy generation with a minimum GRIHA 3-Star rating.

Puri station is under the Khurda division of the East Coast Railway Zone. It is one of the busiest stations of East Coast Railway, which has eight platforms handling 52 trains daily, including mail, express and passenger trains.

In 2018-19, Puri handled a daily footfall of almost 16,680 passengers.

The RLDA is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways for the development of railway land. It has four key mandates as a part of its development plan, namely leasing of commercial sites, colony redevelopment, station redevelopment and multi-functional complexes.

Indian Railways has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land across India. RLDA is currently handling 100 commercial (greenfield) sites and 84 railway colony redevelopment projects across India for leasing and the eligible developers for each will be selected through an open and transparent bidding process.

RLDA is also mandated with the redevelopment of railway stations and is currently working on 60 railway stations in a phased manner while its subsidiary, IRSDC, has taken up another 62 railway stations across India for redevelopment.