Why In News ?

• Recently, the Prime Minister of India laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations spread across 27 states and union territories across India under the AMRUT Bharat Station Scheme.
• It aims to transform railway stations into modern, well-equipped hubs.

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• This scheme was launched by the Ministry of Railways in February 2023.
• AMRUT Bharat Station Scheme aims to redevelop 1309 stations across the country.
• The design of the station buildings will be inspired by the local culture, heritage and architecture.
• Indian Railways was established on April 16, 1853. The inaugural passenger train covered a 34 km route between Mumbai's Bori-Bunder and Thane.
• Indian Railways has its own mascot named 'Bholu', which was created by the National Institute of Design in the year 2002.
• Bholu, an elephant dressed as a railway guard, was introduced on the 150th anniversary of the railways.
• Indian Railways is the fourth largest railway network in the world with a track length of 67,368 km. Only the US, China and Russia have larger networks.
•   Four properties of the Indian Railways have been designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway.