Ahmedabad: Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Saturday inspected the proposed Vatva Mega Coaching Terminal project site in Ahmedabad and conducted a comprehensive review of its progress, alignment, and planned modern facilities.

The General Manager of Western Railway and other senior railway officials were present during the inspection.

During the visit, the Minister reviewed the project’s core infrastructure, operational planning, and facilities being developed to meet future traffic demands. The progress of the proposed quadrupling work up to Ahmedabad was also assessed, which is expected to significantly enhance passenger train operations in the coming years.

The Vatva Mega Coaching Terminal is a major infrastructure initiative of Indian Railways aimed at easing the growing operational pressure at Ahmedabad Junction and ensuring modern, safe, and efficient rail operations.

Key Features of the Project:

The terminal will have a total proposed length of approximately 3 kilometres.

• Twelve pit lines will be developed to facilitate smooth primary maintenance of trains.

• Twenty-nine stabling lines will be created for safe parking of rakes.

• Two washing lines are proposed for rake cleaning.

• Two sick lines, each 600 metres long, will be constructed for repairing damaged coaches.

• Six new platforms will be built, taking the total number of platforms at the terminal to nine.

The Minister also directed officials to explore the possibility of increasing the number of pit lines and stabling lines to accommodate future operational requirements.

Significant Increase in Operational Capacity:

Once fully operational, the terminal will enable:

• Primary maintenance of 36 pairs of trains per day.

• Platform return facility for 15 trains.

• Operation of a total of 51 trains from the terminal.

The project is expected to increase the overall operational capacity of the Ahmedabad Division by nearly three times.

The Vatva Mega Coaching Terminal is seen as a significant step towards strengthening railway infrastructure, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving passenger amenities. The project is expected to play a crucial role in meeting the region’s growing rail traffic demands. DeshGujarat