Lok Sabha Question No. 72 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-04
Subject: Redevelopment Work at Chapra Junction
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 72 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026

## REDEVELOPMENT WORK AT CHAPRA JUNCTION

## *72. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  present  status  of  the  redevelopment  work  at  Chapra  Junction specifying the percentage of physical and financial progress achieved till  date  including  the  major  components  of  work  proposed  under  the said plan;
- (b) the amount of budget initially sanctioned and subsequently revised for the redevelopment of said junction indicating the reasons for reduction, if any;
- (c) the details of timeline prescribed for commencement and completion of the redevelopment work;
- (d) whether there have been delays in the execution of the project and if so,  the  reasons  therefor  as  well  as  the  quantum  of  cost  overruns
- incurred and the action taken in such cases; and
- (e) the details of the redevelopment projects including allocated funds and their  current  status  at  various  railway  stations  in  the  State  of  Bihar, particularly in the district of Saran?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO.72 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 IN LOK SABHA

a)  to  (e)  At  Chhapra  Railway  Station,  passenger  amenities  like  drinking water facilities, waiting hall, seating arrangements, platform shelters on all platforms,  urinals  and  latrines,  high-level  platforms,  foot  over  bridge, parking  and  circulating  area  with  lighting  arrangements,  electronic  train indicator boards, signages, etc are available.

During the recent years, various development works have been carried out at Chhapra Station. These include the following:

-  provision of a coach guidance system and train indication boards;
-  installation of an online train reservation chart display system;
-  display of train arrival and departure information through NTES;
-  installation of lifts;
-  provision of a quick watering system for watering hydrants along with repair of existing hydrants;
-  rehabilitation of washable aprons on Line No. 4, 5, and 6, rebuilding of the washable apron on Line No. 7;
-  augmentation and upgradation of passenger amenity works;
-  repair and rehabilitation of platform surfaces;
-  extension  of  platforms  with  amenities  to  accommodate  26-coachlength trains;
-  provision of a platform shelter (9 bays) etc.

Further,  the  works  for  development  of  second  entry,  improvement  of  the parcel office and godown have been taken up and the capacity augmentation of the mechanized laundry has been sanctioned.

Ministry  of  Railways  has  launched  Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme  for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.

The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations. The master planning includes:

-  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
-  Integration of station with both sides of city
-  Improvement of station building
-  Improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, water booths
-  Provision  of  wider  foot  over  bridge/air  concourse  commensurate  with passenger traffic
-  Provision of lift/escalators/ramp
-  Improvement /Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms
-  Provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like 'One Station One Product'
-  Parking areas, Multimodal integration
-  Amenities for Divyangjans
-  Better passenger information systems
-  Provision of executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings,  landscaping,  etc.  keeping  in  view  the  necessity  at  each station.

The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term.

So  far,  1337  stations  have  been  identified  for  development  under  Amrit Bharat  Station  Scheme,  out  of  which  98  stations  including  Chhapra, Dighwara, Ekma, Masrakh and Sonpur Junction stations of Saran district, are  located  in  Bihar.  The  names  of  stations  identified  for  development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Bihar are as following:

| State   |   No. of Stations | Name of Stations                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|---------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Bihar   |                98 | Anugraha Narayan Road, Ara, Arariya Court, Bakhtiyarpur, Banka, Banmankhi, Bapudham Motihari, Barahiya, Barauni, Barh, Barsoi Jn, Begusarai, Bettiah, Bhabua Road, Bhagalpur, Bhagwanpur, Bihar Sharif, Bihiya, Bikramganj, Buxar, Chakia, Chausa, Chhapra, Dalsingh Sarai, Darbhanga, Dauram Madhepura, Dehri On Sone, Dholi, Dighwara, Dumraon, Durgauti, Ekma, Fatuha, Gaya, Ghorasahan, Guraru, Hajipur Jn, Jamalpur Jn, Jamui, Janakpur Road, Jaynagar, Jehanabad, Jhanjharpur, Kahalgaon, Karhagola Road, Katihar Jn, Khagaria Jn, Kishanganj, Kudra, Labha, Laheria Sarai, Lakhminia, Luckeesarai Jn, Madhubani, Maheshkhunt, Mairwa, Mansi Jn, Masrakh, Mokama, Motipur, Munger (Monghyr), Muzaffarpur Jn, Nabinagar Road, Narkatiaganj Jn, Naugachia, Nawadah, Paharpur, Patliputra, Patna Jn, Piro, Pirpainti, Rafiganj, Raghunathpur, Rajendra Nagar Terminal (Patna), Rajgir, Ram Dayalu Nagar, Raxaul, Sabaur, Sagauli, Saharsa, Sahibpur Kamal, Sakri, Salauna, Salmari, Samastipur, Sasaram, Shahpur Patoree, Shivanarayanpur, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Simultala, Sitamarhi, Siwan, |

| State   | No. of   | Name of Stations                                           |
|---------|----------|------------------------------------------------------------|
|         |          | Sonpur Jn., Sultanganj, Supaul, Taregna, Thakurganj, Thawe |

Development works at railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Bihar have been taken up at a good pace. Till now, works of 02 stations (Pirpainti and Thawe) in Bihar have been completed under this scheme.The works at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of above stations is as given below:

-  At  Dighwara  station,  work  of  Platform  extension  and  surfacing  of platform, erection of canopy, approach road development, toilet block, water booths  on  platform,  renovation  of  existing  waiting  hall,  parking area  development  have  been  completed.  Finishing  works  have  been taken up.
-  At  Ekma  station,  work  of  improvement  of  waiting  hall  has  been completed. The works of platform widening, platform surfacing, platform shelter, circulating area, parking, signages have been taken up.
-  At  Masrakh  station,  work  of  raising  of  platform  no.  1  &  2,  platform extension,  platform  surfacing,  platform  shelter,  water  booth  and  have been completed. The works of porch, toilet, circulating area, parking, signages,  seating  arrangement  and  Divyangjan  facilities  have  been taken up.
-  At Sonpur station, work of development of circulating area , Improvement of existing station building elevation, Construction of new atrium  building  with  concourse  and  booking  counter,  construction  of main  station  entry  porch,  renovation  of  existing  booking  counter  is completed. Work of new 12 m Foot Over Bridge has been taken up.

Further,  development  /  redevelopment  /  upgradation  /  modernisation  of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in  this  regard  are  undertaken  as  per  requirement,  subject  to  inter-se priority and availability of funds. The priority for development / redevelopment  /  upgradation  /  modernisation  of  stations  is  accorded  to higher category of station over lower category of station while sanctioning and executing the works.

Development  /  Upgradation  of  railway  stations  is  complex  in  nature involving  safety  of  passengers  &  trains  and  requires  various  statutory clearances such as fire clearance, heritage, tree cutting, airport clearance etc. The progress also gets affected due to brownfield related challenges such  as  shifting  of  utilities  (involving  water/sewage  lines,  optical  fibre cables, gas pipe lines, power/signal cables, etc.), infringements, operation of trains without hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close proximity of tracks and high voltage power lines, etc. and these factors affect the completion time. Therefore, no time frame can be indicated at this stage.

Development  /  Upgradation  /  Modernization  of  stations  including  Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53 'Customer Amenities'. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan Head-53 are  maintained  Zonal  Railway-wise  and  not  work-wise  or  station-wise  or state-wise.  The  state  of  Bihar  is  covered  under  the  jurisdiction  of  four railway zones, namely, Eastern Railway, Northeast Frontier Railway, North Eastern Railway and East Central Railway. For these zones, an allocation of ₹ 1,828 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26, out of which an expenditure (up to December, 2025) of ₹ 1451 crore has been incurred so far.

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