Patna: The Patna Junction is one of the 70 stations to be benefited by the Railway Board's direction to East Central Railway to redevelop the facilities under its jurisdiction.

Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani had written the letter to senior ECR officials in March. About 600 stations have been identified to provide passengers an enhanced experience, and the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation will carry out the work. In a parallel measure, the Board has also decided to develop 70 stations through the zonal railways separately in which Patna junction is on top.

The Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation, a special purpose vehicle of the central government, has been designed to develop the new stations and redevelop the existing ones.

Danapur divisional railway manager Ranjan Prakash Thakur told The Telegraph: "We have been asked to complete upgrading the Patna Junction by December 2018."

The station building's façade will be improved and circulating areas would be redeveloped to provide regulated lanes for pick-up and drop. The Railway Board has also directed ECR to improve the washable apron if required and install steel dustbins. Thakur said: "We will improve the existing waiting halls, waiting rooms, retiring rooms, toilet facilities and drinking water."

Work worth Rs 5.76 crore has been completed in the 2017-18 fiscal.