Guwahati, Feb. 9: The railways is going for public-private partnership (PPP) mode to redevelop Kamakhya station here under its plan to revamp 400 stations across the country.

Kamakhya and New Jalpaiguri are the two "A1" category stations included in the first phase of redevelopment. The same model is likely to be followed in redeveloping 21 "A" category stations under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), including 10 in Assam.

The 23 stations have been identified in the first phase for redevelopment.

The NFR's chief public relations officer, Pranav Jyoti Sharma, today said redevelopment of the Kamakhya station is likely to costRs 228 crore and the tender was issued yesterday.

"Under the plan, the Kamakhya junction station will undergo a major expansion in view of the sanctioned doubling projects of New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Kamakhya and New Bongaigaon-Rangiya-Kamakhya routes. The expansion will be required for the four-lane elevated tracks to be constructed from Kamakhya to New Guwahati. The Kamakhya station will be developed to cater to the increase in the number of passengers for the next 40 years. The station is expected to handle approximately 40,000 passengers per day from present 6,000 passengers per day," Sharma said in a statement.

Stations with annual earnings of more than Rs 60 crore are categorised as "A1" and those with more than Rs 8 crore as "A" category stations.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu launched the redevelopment project yesterday.

"The selected developer will be provided encumbrance-free vacant railway land measuring 50,000 square metre, adjoining Kendriya Vidyalaya, Maligaon (near Kamakhya station), for commercial development. It is expected that the developer will not only fully finance the station development works out of the proceeds of the commercial development, but will also generate surplus revenue for the railways," he said.

Barpeta Road, Bongaigaon, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lumding, Rangiya junction, Tinsukia, Dimapur and Silchar stations will also be redeveloped.