Defence land transfer paves way for expansion at Dr Ambedkar Nagar rly station

Indore: The Defence Ministry has handed over the land required for redevelopment of Dr Ambedkar Nagar railway station, and long-pending encroachments in the project area were cleared, paving the way for full-length expansion of platform number 4 and capacity augmentation through extension of lines 5 and 6.Encroachments between Dr Ambedkar Nagar and Patalpani, covering km 514/9 to 515/3 and km 515/22 to 515/26, were removed, freeing about 1,51,613 sq ft of land valued at nearly Rs 13.45 crore. The Defence Estate Department formally transferred the land to the Railways, officials said.The clearance will allow platform number 4, currently about 400 metres long and able to accommodate only 14-coach trains, to be extended to full length so that longer trains can be handled more efficiently. Expansion of lines 5 and 6 is also planned to strengthen shunting arrangements and improve overall operational capacity at the station.Railway officials said the upgraded infrastructure could help divert some train operations to Dr Ambedkar Nagar during the proposed redevelopment of Indore railway station, easing congestion in the region. The expansion is also expected to support the operation of additional trains during the Simhastha in 2028.