Varanasi: Reviewing progress of upgrading of Kashi railway stations as model facilities and inspecting construction of the new double-decker signature bridge, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that it will be named Namo bridge.Following his arrival on Saturday to flag off Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Varanasi and New Delhi, Vaishnav reached the under-construction site of Kashi railway station and signature bridge where he inquired about the progress from railway officials in the presence of public representatives including Mayor Ashok Tiwari. Since the new bridge is coming up between Namo Ghat and Kashi railway station, Vaishnav said it is ideal to name it Namo bridge.Vaishnav said Namo bridge will not only emerge as a vital transport hub by improving connectivity of north and east India, but also ease access to Kashi Vishwanath temple for the pilgrims as it is only 2 km away from Kashi station. Keeping in view the future requirements, the station will have a vast waiting area almost the size of a football ground where accommodating over 50,000 passengers will be possible at a time.The foundation for the construction of this new rail-cum-road bridge across Ganga was laid by PM Narendra Modi on April 28. The Rs 2464.46-crore project of the construction of the bridge will have four rail track lines (Lower Deck) and a six-lane road on the top and will decongest the rail network in a critical logistics corridor and ensure better connectivity to the eastern and northern areas of India.With the foundation-laying by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rs 2,642-crore signature double-decker bridge on Ganga will start taking shape parallel to the 139-year-old iconic Malviya bridge on the river in Kashi.In Nov 2022, Vaishnaw announced construction of the double-decker bridge in Kashi as part of the project of total redevelopment of Kashi railway station by creating connectivity with road and waterway. In Oct 2024, the Modi cabinet approved the ambitious ‘Signature Double Decker Bridge on River Ganga’ project. Modi posted on X, “This will not only improve connectivity for pilgrims, tourists, and locals but also create new opportunities for employment and business.”This bridge is going to be crucial in connecting regions and hosting the Grand Trunk Road. The double-decker steel truss bridge over Ganga was built in 1887 by the Oudh & Rohilkhand Railway, initially named the Dufferin Bridge after India’s Governor-General, then renamed in 1948 for freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya, founder of Banaras Hindu University. It uniquely carries a railway on the lower deck and the Grand Trunk Road on the upper, remaining a vital transport link and landmark despite being old.
