Habibganj railway station

Habibganj railway station
Express and Passenger train station
Old (left) and new (centre) main entrance buildings of the railway station
General information
Other namesRani Kamalapati railway station
LocationMaharana Pratap Nagar Zone 2, Bhopal-462011, Madhya Pradesh,
India
Coordinates23°13′18″N 77°26′24″E / 23.2216°N 77.4401°E / 23.2216; 77.4401
Elevation495.760 metres (1,626.51 ft)
Owned byIndian Railway Stations Development Corporation
Line(s)Delhi–Chennai line
Bhopal–Nagpur section
Platforms5
Tracks6
Construction
Structure typeAt–ground
Platform levels1
ParkingAvailable
Bicycle facilitiesAvailable
Other information
StatusActive
Station codeRKMP
HBJ (1920-2021)
Fare zoneWest Central Railway zone
History
Opened1920; 104 years ago (1920)[1]
Rebuilt1969; 55 years ago (1969)[1]
2021; 3 years ago (2021)[1]
ElectrifiedYes
Location
Habibganj is located in Bhopal
Habibganj
Habibganj
Location within Bhopal
Habibganj is located in Madhya Pradesh
Habibganj
Habibganj
Habibganj (Madhya Pradesh)

Habibganj railway station, officially Rani Kamalapati railway station (station code: RKMP), is a ISO certified[2] railway station in Bhopal, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It lies on the New Delhi–Chennai main line of the Indian Railways. It comes under West Central Railway zone (WCR) of the Indian Railways and serves as headquarters of Bhopal railway division of WCR. It serves as a secondary station to Bhopal Junction railway station (the main station in Bhopal). It is India's first private railway station.[1][3]

History

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The Bhopal–Itarsi section of New Delhi–Chennai main line was opened in 1884.[4][5] In 1920s, the Habibganj railway station was opened on the above section. It served the village of Habibganj, then located outside Bhopal. In 1969, the Madhya Pradesh Government redeveloped it as a second railway station in the city to decongest Bhopal railway station.[1] The family of Prince Habibullah Khan gave land and Rs 15 lakh to develop the station. Hence, it came to be known as Habibganj after Habibullah Khan himself.[6]

The Ministry of Railways privatised the railway station in June 2017, making it India's first private railway station.[7]

In November 2021, the Madhya Pradesh Government changed its name to Rani Kamalapati railway station in the memory of Gond queen Rani Kamlapati. The railway station was redeveloped again and was opened in November 2021. The station code was also changed from HBJ to RKMP.[8][9][10]

Rani Kamalpati statue

Infrastructure

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The station has 5 platforms with 6 tracks. The railway station was redeveloped on the lines of Germany’s Heidelberg railway station and is promoted as India’s first world-class station. The station now has various facilities like large covered parking area, 24X7 power backup, drinking water, air-conditioned lobby, offices, shops, high speed escalator, lift, anchor stores, automobile showrooms, a convention centre, a hotel and a super speciality hospital.[11]

The redeveloped railway station has received GEM 5 star rating in GEM Sustainability Certification by ASSOCHAM for Green, sustainable design and eco-friendly project. The station has planned an extensive reuse of water with Zero discharge technology being utilised for sewage treatment systems. A provision of rainwater harvesting is also present at the station. To ensure clean energy, solar energy generation is implemented in the station. Around 6800 and 7300 square metres are identified for soft and hard landscaping respectively.[11]

Services

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The station is located 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) away from Bhopal Junction. It lies on the New Delhi–Chennai main line of the Indian Railways. It serves as a secondary station to Bhopal Junction railway station.

See also

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Other railway stations serving Bhopal metropolitan area

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Bhopal's Habibganj station renamed after tribal queen". Hindustan Times. 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Certificate of Registration" (PDF). ranikamalapatirailwaystation.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Habibganj: Here is India's first private railway station". Business Today. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  4. ^ "IR History: Early Days – II". Chronology of railways in India, Part 2 (1870–1899). Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Introduction". Nagpur Itarsi Route. Nagpur district authorities. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  6. ^ Siddique, Iram (15 November 2021). "In renaming Bhopal's Habibganj railway station, BJP's tribal outreach". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  7. ^ Sehra, Sumedha (9 June 2017). "What features will India's 1st privately run station have?". Inshorts. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  8. ^ Tomar, Shruti (14 November 2021). "Bhopal's Habibganj station renamed after tribal queen". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  9. ^ PTI (15 November 2021). "PM Modi inaugurates modern Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  10. ^ "हबीबगंज हुआ रानी कमलापति रेलवे स्टेशन:MP सरकार के नोटिफिकेशन जारी करते ही प्लेटफॉर्म पर बोर्ड बदले, रविवार को आएंगे रेल मंत्री" [Habibganj is now Rani Kamlapati railway station: Boards changed on the platform as soon as the notification of the MP government was issued, the Railway Minister will come on Sunday]. Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 13 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  11. ^ a b "World Class Railway Station | Rani Kamalapati Railway Station | Bansal Group". Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rani Kamalapati railway station.
Preceding station Indian Railways Following station
Bhopal Junction
towards ?
Central Railway zone Misrod
towards ?
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