AMRITSAR: Congress MP from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla has renewed the demand for the long-pending redevelopment of Amritsar Railway Station, urging the Union Railway Ministry to move the project out of files and into time-bound execution.
In a fresh intervention, Aujla said that the redevelopment of the railway station could not be allowed to remain stuck in bureaucratic procedures. He urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Ministry of Railways to fast-track the project and announce a clear, time-bound execution plan.
Aujla stressed that Amritsar is not merely another railway destination but “Guru Ki Nagari”, attracting pilgrims, tourists and visitors from across India and around the world. He argued that the city’s principal railway gateway should reflect Amritsar’s enormous spiritual, historical and international importance.
The demand is not new. In March 2025, Aujla had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, asking the Railway Ministry whether the existing infrastructure at Amritsar Railway Station was adequate to handle the growing passenger footfall and whether the station required modernisation with world-class amenities, improved passenger facilities, enhanced security and an architectural character befitting the heritage city.
The issue had also been raised by Aujla in Parliament in March 2023, when he specifically asked whether Amritsar Railway Station was proposed to be developed as a world-class station under the redevelopment scheme and sought information about the likely timeline for commencement of the work.
The repeated parliamentary interventions underline the central concern: Amritsar has been discussing a world-class railway station for years, while the city continues to wait for visible and decisive progress. For a city whose economy is heavily connected with pilgrimage and tourism, the railway station is effectively one of its first impressions for millions of visitors.
Aujla’s latest demand therefore puts the focus squarely on implementation rather than announcements. He has called for a definite roadmap, deadlines and accountability so that the redevelopment does not become another project repeatedly discussed but indefinitely delayed.
The importance of the project extends beyond aesthetics. A modern railway station can improve passenger movement, accessibility, security, parking and traffic management while providing better facilities for senior citizens, women, persons with disabilities and international visitors. It can also strengthen Amritsar’s position as a major tourism and pilgrimage hub.
The Railway Ministry has previously stated in Parliament that station modernisation is an ongoing process undertaken according to requirements, priorities and availability of funds. The challenge now, Aujla’s intervention suggests, is to translate that policy into a specific, publicly visible timetable for Amritsar.
For the people of Amritsar, the expectation is straightforward: less paperwork, fewer promises and more construction on the ground. Guru Ki Nagari deserves a railway gateway that matches its global stature—and after years of discussion, the demand is increasingly for a deadline rather than another assurance.