JKB Infra joins hands with French firm SNCF to revamp railways stations

JKB Infrastructure on Wednesday said it has tied up with French company SNCF for the redevelopment of railway stations in India.

It is a landmark project to redevelop, reconstruct and renovate India's major railway stations to surpass world-class standards and focuses on key stations to positively impact 100 cities and 16 million passengers per day, the infrastructure company said.

"JKB Infrastructure, a venture of Bhagchandka Group, has joined hands with SNCF, France's state-owned national railway company for railway projects to provide world class facilities and experience to Indian railways network... It is an initiative that JKB Infrastructure, an upcoming infrastructure company, is deeply focused on and has partnered with SNCF, one of the leading global railway operators with a track record of many domain firsts including a record for the fastest train," it said in a statement.

The company said that aligning with Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi's vision, JKB Infrastructure sees immense value in this modernisation drive for all stakeholders right from passengers, private investors and the railways.

Anirudh Jaikishan Bhagchandka, Director, JKB Infrastructure, said: "Indian railways is an institution that is connected to almost every Indian. It moves 23 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of freight on a daily basis rightly earning the tag of growth engine of the economy. We at JKB Infrastructure are aiming to create a paradigm-shifting sustainable public infrastructure that is critical in long-term economic development of India."

The statement said SNCF Hubs & Connexion, the International Station Operation Division of SNCF and this project's key enabler, is known worldwide for their expertise on design, development and operations of multi-modal transit hubs.

Fabrice Morenon, Managing Director at SNCF Hubs & Connexion, said, "Our team is a mix of engineers, architects, traffic flow, financial and economic experts from across the world. We are sure their expertise ...can create seamless opportunities across India for various stakeholders."

With their integrated station management systems, SNCF Hubs & Connexion has been able to create unique successful models that enhance customer experience along with new revenue streams while lowering maintenance costs, the statement said.