On July 16, 2021, PM Narendra Modi will be virtually inaugurating several key projects of the Railways in Gujarat along with an Aquatics and Robotics gallery, and Nature Park in Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad.
The Railway projects include the newly redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital Railway station, gauge converted-cum-electrified Mehesana – Varetha line, and the newly electrified Surendranagar – Pipavav section. Also, in the pipeline are two new trains that will be flagged off tomorrow, namely, the Gandhinagar Capital – Varanasi Superfast Express and the MEMU service trains, between Gandhinagar and Varetha.
Redevelopment of Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station
The up-gradation of Gandhinagar Capital Railway station has been done at a cost of Rs 71 crore. The station has been provided with world-class amenities, at par with modern airports. Special Care has been taken to make it a disabled-friendly station by providing it with a special ticket booking counter, ramps, lifts, dedicated parking space, etc. The complete building is designed and provided with green building rating features. The state-of-the-art external façade will have daily theme-based lighting with 32 themes. The station will also house a five-star hotel.
Mahesana – Varetha gauge converted cum electrified broad-gauge line (including Vadnagar station)
The Mahesana – Varetha Gauge conversion of 55 km has been completed at a cost of Rs 293 crores along with the electrification work at a cost of Rs 74 crores. It has a total of 10 stations with four newly developed station buildings viz. Visnagar, Vadnagar, Kheralu & Varetha. A major station in this section is Vadnagar, which has been developed under Vadnagar – Modhera – Patan Heritage Circuit. Vadnagar will now get connected through a broad-gauge line and passenger and goods trains can now be run seamlessly on this section.
Electrification of Surendranagar – Pipavav Section
The project has been completed at a total cost of Rs 289 crores. The project will provide seamless freight movement from Palanpur, Ahmedabad, and other parts of the country up to Pipavav Port without any change of traction.
Aquatics Gallery
The state-of-the-art public Aquatics Gallery consists of different tanks dedicated to aquatic species. There is also a 28-meter walkway tunnel, providing a unique experience.
Robotics Gallery
The Robotics Gallery is an interactive gallery showcasing the frontiers of robotic technologies, which would provide a platform for visitors to explore the ever-advancing field of robotics. At the entrance, there is a gigantic replica of the Transformer robot. A unique attraction in the gallery is a reception humanoid robot that communicates with visitors. Robots from different fields are placed on different floors of the gallery that demonstrate applications in domains such as medicine, agriculture, space, defence, and use in everyday life.
Nature Park
The Park includes several picturesque features like a Mist Garden, Chess Garden, Selfie Points, Sculpture Park, and an outdoor maze. It also includes interesting labyrinths designed for children. The park also contains various sculptures of extinct animals such as Mammoth, Terror Bird, Saber Tooth Lion are replete with scientific information.
