Inter Modal Stations (IMS)
Inter Modal Stations are terminal infrastructure which integrate various transportation modes like rail, road, mass rapid transit system, bus rapid transit, auto-rickshaws, taxis and private vehicles etc and in some case with water mode (through Inland Water ways) and air mode (through Helipads), so that people can move from one mode to another seamlessly, with minimum use of automobiles. In most cities today, transport hubs such as bus terminals, railway stations and others are located far from each other, so inter-modal transfers create pressure on the already congested roads.
By bringing the different transport modes at one point, IMS will reduce congestion on roads and also vehicular pollution. IMS will also aid in city decongestion by encouraging the use of public transportation and by effectively using ring roads and National Highways for entry and evacuation of inter-city bus traffic.
Intermodal Stations are being planned in an integrated manner along with road network development through new connecting roads, bridges, flyovers etc. The stations will cater to passenger volumes for the next 30 years and will have world-class amenities like Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) with travellators, subways, common waiting rooms, clean toilets and restrooms, integrated public information systems, modern firefighting and emergency response services, convenience stores, lifts and escalators, adequate circulation space and commercial establishments.
Multiple benefits exist in developing inter-modal stations over standalone terminals:
Aggregated footfall: Inter-modal stations witness higher footfall than disaggregated transport terminals
Improved passenger experience: Facilities are better managed due to collaboration of multiple entities and commercial development is driven by aggregated footfalls. In addition, passengers do not need to spend time and money to transit between terminals.
Sharing of resources: Shared infrastructure like FOBs, waiting rooms, concourses, public conveniences lead to reduced investment and land requirement. This lowers the investment requirements while increasing the overall synergies in the system
Development of inter-modal stations will also give a boost to commercial development and economic activity in cities, which can significantly alter the socio-economic profile of the development area.
As pilot projects, the satellite railways stations at Ajni in Nagpur and Kashi in Varanasi have been selected for development of IMS. In addition, IMS is also being developed in Katra.
Status of IMS Projects.
IMS Nagpur
- IMS Nagpur is being developed at Ajni Railway Station.
- It will integrate Railways, Interstate Bus Terminal and Nagpur Metro.
- Status: Contracted awarded for IMS development
IMS Varanasi
- IMS Varanasi is being developed at Kashi Railway Station.
- It will integrate Railways, Interstate Bus Terminal and Inland Water Terminal
- Status: DPR in progress
IMS Katra
- IMS Katra is being developed at Katra Railway Station.
- It will integrate Railways, Interstate Bus Terminal and Helipad.
- Status: DPR being initiated.
Based on the request of State Govt. more IMS projects will be taken up in future.
Photos of IMS Nagpur
