RLDA invites bids to upgrade New Delhi railway station.

Putting into motion the ₹6,500-crore project to upgrade the New Delhi railway station, the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has invited online bids from private players to redevelop the station into an integrated commercial, retail and hospitality hub.

The project, which is targeted to be completed in four years, will include infrastructure upgrades such as multi-level car parking, refurbished platforms and passenger amenities including lounges and food court, besides office complexes and five-star hotels in the vicinity.

“New Delhi Railway Station will be transformed into a world-class, one-stop destination for retail, commercial and hospitality business. The development will boost the tourism potential and accentuate real estate as well as investment prospects in New Delhi and surrounding regions,” Ved Parkash Dudeja, Vice Chairman at RLDA, said.

The New Delhi railway station is the largest and the second busiest in the country. It handles approximately 4.5 lakh passengers and about 400 trains per day.

The project will be developed on a Design-Build Finance Operate Transfer (DBFOT) model for a concession period of 60 years.

The project will include station redevelopment, development of associated infrastructure, upgrade of social infrastructure as well as refurbishment of railway offices and railway quarters.

“Some of the planned redevelopment include an elevated concourse with segregation of arriving and departing passengers, refurbished platforms with easy access from the concourse level, mezzanine level exclusively for passenger facilities such as lounges, food courts and restrooms, an elevated road network with multiple entry and exit points, a multi-level car parking facility and Green Building provisions such as optimum use of natural ventilation and lighting,” it said.

The project will also include a significant commercial component, incorporating a mix of retail, office, and hospitality developments such as 5-star hotels, budget hotels and serviced apartments on approximately 30 acres of land. It also envisages a business district to be located on the outer circle of Connaught Place and near Bhavabhuti Marg, close to Civic Centre.

The station will be integrated with DMRC yellow line, airport express line and with the Connaught Place outer circle through a pedestrian boulevard.

The concessionaire will earn revenues from several components such as passenger handling fees, revenues from facilities such as retail areas, lounges, parking, advertisement spaces, F&B, and income from the development and lease of the commercial components. “The developer is expected to give an annual concession fee (bid variable) to the authority along with a fixed upfront premium,” it added.

THE HINDU