Modern Bhubaneswar Railway Station Must Revive City’s Lost East West Links, An urban planner view
Revitalisation of Train Station in today’s world is a response to urbanisation with a hope that infrastructure will encourage locals to commute using bicycle and public transport instead of cars, and in turn ease congestion in cities and make it a more sustainable city across the globe, the opportunity for Bhubaneswar arrived at an appropriate time to revitalise itself.
Let’s take example of Utrecht, a town in Netherlands that went redevelopment of it’s Central Train Station in 2019 focused around integrated, comfortable bicycle parking is the answer to a major problem and created a mobility hub that favours cyclists and pedestrians and makes car use less attractive.
Now complete, the bicycle park accommodates three levels of underground stores for 12,656 bicycles – overtaking the world’s former largest bicycle parking lot in Tokyo that houses 9,000. Above ground, Utrecht Central Station stands alongside an improved street layout and public plaza. The three-storey bicycle parking located directly below the central station integrates with city traffic.
Utrecht Central Station was once built for approximately 35 million passengers per year. Currently 88 million people use the station annually. This number is constantly increasing and is expected to reach one hundred million passengers in 2030. The new public transport terminal houses train, bus and tram platforms under one undulating roof, including world’s largest bicycle parking.
Over the next two decades, the number of travellers to Bhubaneswar Station will grow to over a million visitors per year. Since the present building could not handle the increasing amounts of passengers and there aspirations, Bhubaneswar Railway Station needs a rebuilt. But the modern railway station must be two to three times of its present size – into one new integrated station complex, that would regulates the transport of train, bicycle, taxi, bus and in future the metro rail or tram etc. The station must become an autonomous building with a focus to create two new city squares on both entrances. In case of Utrecht on one side they have convention centre, while on the city the build largest bicycle parking facility in the world.
In today’s swanky public spaces there will be station promenade, a public street, plazas etc. However, the biggest challenges of not just Bhubaneswar but most cities in India with increase in traffic, Railway Station became a isolated fort that divided cities into parts. Resulting a split in culture, family bondages, communication etc. The result the difference we use to cover by walk or bicycle in our childhood by crossing the railway track’s now a war zone with boarders.Which means it disrupted the walking & cycling culture into automobile culture resulting in congestion, pollution and obstruction in city development. In Bhubaneswar while one part enjoys smart amenities the other part with all the urban disruptions.
Where as it’s not the case from where Bhubaneswar Railway Station redevelopment plan got inspiration. There are many examples but let’s take example of Utrecht, where most crosses the railroad tracks. Now a passer-by is able to move from west to east without having to use a ‘chip card’. Restaurants, shops, and a possible market gives this promenade the atmosphere of a real city street. Through large glass walls, serving as curtains hanging from the roof of 235 by 85 meters, the stations offers all kinds of stunning lookouts, to trains, tracks and perhaps expansive views of the city. The interior has a reserved allure and modest charm: it is the people, signage, vehicles and other typical additions that make the station alive and vibrant, and give colour and ambiance is what Bhubaneswar needs and not just the facade that even doesn’t lookalike of city’s identity of aspiring world heritage status, certainly opens up a status of revisiting the structure from designers point of view into an urban planner view.
Similarly making Bhubaneswar railway station lookalike airport is not bad at all but that will not ensure one to get train ticket in one hour prior to boarding and not even the time trains running between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi. Where as cites those inspired Bhubaneswar railway station, there trains are competing with airlines, but not in case of Bhubaneswar. Once I was travelling to Stuttgart from Frankfurt, the options was wait for five hours to get a flight and then another couple of hours into in between City & Airports. So instantly walked into downstairs of Air Terminal into Railway Terminal purchased Train Tickets to Stuttgart. Interestingly I have options to buy tickets two ways with discount, an option to buy tickets with little more pieces to travel with green energy and since it was weekend got discounted tickets with confirmed seats and boarding time in next fifteen minutes with two hours of journey time into ten minutes walk into hotels at Stuttgart. Isn’t the life is so simple.
Similarly during my academics & visit days across the globe in cities like Rotterdam, Seoul,New York, Seoul, Tokyo etc where never came across a train station divided the city because of it’s existence rather acted as centre of nerves. Means when Bhubaneswar Railway Station getting facelift almost after seventy fiver as India’s first planned capital city must overcome the impression of a Railway Station standing as an isolated fort or airport than a lively city centre. In a way Bhubaneswar must open up multiple communication channels between east & west part of the city without disruption in cycling, walking and culture.
