Drive-in Cinemas, Gaming Zones, VR Rooms: You Won't Believe What These 15 Stations Are Getting

Fifteen railway stations under the Bhopal Railway Division are being transformed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme — moving beyond their traditional role as boarding and alighting points to become modern passenger hubs equipped with upgraded facilities aimed at improving traveller experience and boosting local business and employment.

At the heart of the redevelopment are multifunctional complexes that will offer passengers a food court, shopping facilities, banking service offices, waiting rooms and a tourism assistance centre — all under one roof, eliminating the need to step outside station premises for basic needs.

The stations are also set to feature digital experience centres equipped with touchscreens, digital displays and virtual reality technology, through which passengers will be able to access information on local tourist destinations, government schemes and other essential services with ease.

Beyond the basics, railway plans include gaming zones, children's entertainment centres, modern lounges, e-lobbies, ATMs and drive-in cinemas within station premises — amenities that signal a shift in how Indian railways envisions the role of a station in public life.

The 15 stations covered under the scheme span the Bhopal Division and include Narmadapuram, Shajapuri, Itarsi, Sanchi, Vidisha, Ganjbasoda, Ashoknagar, Guna, Harda, Khirkiya, Banapur, Ruthiyai, Shivpuri, Byawara-Rajgarh and Sant Hirdaram Nagar. Of these, redevelopment work at Narmadapuram and Shajapuri has already been completed, with work at the remaining stations progressing at pace.

Bhopal Division's Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Saurabh Kataria said the stations are being developed as new centres of growth, business and investment. The railway's goal, he said, is not only to provide modern amenities to passengers but to transform station precincts into active hubs of social and commercial activity — generating opportunities for local traders, creating employment and driving economic development in the region.