Habibganj railway station revamped as Rani Kamalapati station: Know 10 Key Facts here

Habibganj station new name: Habibganj railway station has been redeveloped and renamed as Rani Kamalapati station. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the newly revamped Rani Kamalapati railway station, India's first world class railway station to the nation on November 15, 2021.

Rani Kamalapati station has been renamed after the brave and fearless Queen Kamalapati of the Gond kingdom. The station has been redeveloped in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with modern amenities that takes into account ease of mobility for persons with disabilities.  

Habibganj railway station new name: Rani Kamalapati station

Redeveloped Rani Kamalapati Railway Station

Air Concourse and Subways:
Separate entrance and exit routes.#NayeBharatKaNayaStation pic.twitter.com/bJQDbfRWNd

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) November 15, 2021

India's first world-class railway station

Rani Kamalapati Station boasts of world class interiors and modern amenities and facilities, similar to those at international airports, to provide unmatched convenience to passengers. 

Rani Kamalapati Station: Know 10 Key Facts here

1. The Rani Kamalapati Railway Station has been redeveloped as a green building with solar led-LED lighting under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. It has been built by a private company named Bansal Group under a public-private partnership. 

2. Rani Kamalapati Station boasts of all facilities that are available at the international airports. Its modern amenities take into account ease of mobility for persons with disabilities.  

3. Rani Kamalapati Station has been redeveloped as a hub for integrated multi-modal transport. It will offer direct connectivity to Bhopal Metro through a skywalk. It also has separate entry and exit gates to control the crowd.

4. The revamped railway station has all modern facilities like food court, cafeterias, food plaza, retail zone, restaurants, kid zone, VIP lounge and air-conditioned waiting rooms.

5. It also has escalators and lifts to enable passengers to reach the platform easily. It has a seating arrangement of around 700-1,100 passengers in the open concourse. 

6. It will also have a tourist information lounge and  a large LED screen will be put up in the waiting hall to provide information about tourism and the state's culture.  

7. It also has display boards installed throughout the station to provide information about the movement of trains. The boards will convey the information in multiple languages.

8. Around 160 CCTV cameras have also been installed at the station to enable round-the-clock surveillance. There will be 24-hour monitoring of the station from the command and control centre."

9. The Rani Kamalapati Station has been redeveloped at a cost of around Rs 100 crore with private participation. 

10. It is the first such large-scale PPP model in station redevelopment in India. It had been in the works for the past few years.

Who was Rani Kamlapati? 

Rani Kamlapati was the widow of Nizam Shah, Gond ruler and chief of Ginnorgarh in the 18th century. She is said to be one of the seven wives of Nizam Shah. The Gong Queen was known for her beauty and abilities. 

Background

The revamping of the Habibganj railway station was initiated in July 2016 and the work began in 2017 with a deadline of three years. The name change of Habibganj railway station was proposed by the state government