Redevelopment of Nagpur railway station into a modern Railopolis hub moved one more step forward with Heritage Committee’s approval for the project.
Nagpur is one of four redevelopment projects for which Request for Qualification applications were invited in December 2019. Six applicants had qualified for Nagpur station after the applications were opened in June 2020.
The Indian Railways Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) has been designated as Nodal Agency for the development of all railway stations across the Indian Railway network. It is also the main Project Development Agency (PDA).
The Heritage Committee’s approval was necessary in view of the historical significance of Nagpur’s iconic station building. The structure has been classified as a Grade-II heritage building.
A presentation was made by the project French Architects firm M/s. ENIA Design and IRSDC. The proposal received approval from the Committee on 7th September 2020.
IRSDC’s Redevelopment Strategy Around the Heritage Nagpur Station Building
- Heritage Grade II buildings present regional and local importance, along with special architectural, aesthetic merit, its cultural and historical significance, workmanship, ornamentation, climate-responsive architectural. The Heritage Impact Assessment plan has been prepared considering all these aspects.
- The existing building is surrounded by similar-looking buildings constructed by Railway over the years. The proposal is to’ De-clutter’ heritage building by relocating the surrounding buildings, enhance the beauty and grandeur of the heritage building.
- Segregating passenger flows in the station so as to minimize cross-movement and clutter during peak hours.
- Clearing the circulation corridors which are at present being used as station admin functions in the ground floor.
- Cleaning the elevation of heritage block and improving façade lighting to emphasis its look and feel.
- To streamline façade controls in terms of signage (colour, type, size, etc.)
History of Nagpur Station Building
Construction of the Nagpur station building began in the early 1900s. The station was officially inaugurated by the then governor Frank Sly on 15th January 1925.
The Beaux Art style Nagpur railway station building was built with Kanhan yellow sandstone. The Reserve Bank of India and the High Court buildings are among the other important landmarks of Nagpur using the stone.
The Heritage Conservation Committee held its meeting on 13th August 2020 at Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Head Quarters to discuss and consider IRSDC’s proposal for the redevelopment of Nagpur station.
According to IRSDC, requisite approvals are ensured in order to de-risk projects. For this, a proposal was submitted to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and a Heritage Impact Plan was presented to Heritage Conservation Committee, Nagpur.
The organization is also working with the heritage officials on the proposed redevelopment project of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at Mumbai while maintaining the look and the character of one of the country’s most famous landmarks.
