WiFi at 400 railway stations by 2017: Prabhu

Work on providing WiFi at 400 railway stations across the country will be completed by next year, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday. As per Google, the WiFi will have the fastest speed in the world among public WiFis, he added. Further, Railways has also partnered with operators other than Google to provide WiFi under the initiative, Prabhu said.

Suresh Prabhu said: We are tying up with Google for providing WiFi at 400 railways stations across the country.

Work on providing WiFi at 400 railway stations across the country would be completed by next year and it will have the fastest speed among public WiFis in the world, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

“We are tying up with Google for providing WiFi at 400 railways stations across the country. We have started with Mumbai Central Station.

“As per Google, which is a world’s top company, when this work will be completed by next year, this WiFi will have the fastest speed across the world among public WiFi’s,” Prabhu said, adding that this has been already proved at Visakhapatnam and Bhubaneswar stations.

He added that besides Google, the Railways was providing WiFi at railway stations through other operators also.

To a question on developing Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal in Mumbai, the Minister said many issues have been resolved at a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister on April 21 and it has been decided to have seven buildings at the Terminal on the lines of Shivaji’s Fort, with a central dome and six other buildings, besides a statue of Shivaji.

“The Central dome (of 30 X 30 metres) will be retained by Railways as it is a heritage building and the model is being developed by J J School of Arts,” he said.
On connectivity between Churchgate and Shivaji Terminal where trains of Western and Central Railways terminate, Prabhu said “Western Railways and Central Railways are the lifeline of Mumbai. We are taking steps to connect both with an underground tunnel.”

He also disclosed that train passengers having e-tickets will be able to travel by Metro, BEST buses and taxis, a first of its kind initiative.