New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Ayodhya’s new airport on December 30, along with a re-developed railway station, from where he will also flag off new superfast trains called Amrit Bharat trains and launch projects worth ₹11,100 crore for the development of the pilgrim town.

Facade of the terminal building depicts the architecture of the upcoming Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

The first phase of the new airport, developed at a cost of ₹1,450 crore, includes a passenger terminal building spread over 6,500 sq m, which has the capacity to handle 10 lakh passengers annually.

The facade of the terminal building depicts the architecture of the upcoming Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, while its interiors are decorated with local art, paintings, and murals depicting the life of Ram. It is also equipped with various sustainability features such as an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rain water harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, and solar power plant.

The re-development of Ayodhya’s railway station cost ₹240 crore and has resulted in a three-storey modern station equipped with lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops, cloak rooms, child care rooms, and waiting halls.

At the station, the PM will flag off a new type of superfast passenger trains, the Amrit Bharat Express. The train has non-air-conditioned coaches, and includes locos at both ends for better acceleration. The two trains to be flagged off are the Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express and the Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express. The PM will also flag off six new Vande Bharat trains.

Modi will lay the foundation stone for new projects costing ₹11,100 crore, meant to revamp civic facilities as well as strengthen the city’s rich cultural heritage. These projects include the conservation and beautification of four historical entrance gates in Ayodhya, new concrete ghats, the development and beautification of tourist facilities from Naya Ghat to Laxman Ghat, and the construction of a visitors gallery for Deepotsav, among others.

He will also lay the foundation stone for a greenfield township in Ayodhya, being developed at a cost of more than ₹2,180 crore, and the Vashishtha Kunj residential scheme, to be developed at a cost of about ₹300 crore.

Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of National Highway-27’s Lucknow-Ayodhya section, including the strengthening and modification of the existing Ayodhya bypass, and construction work for Municipal Corporation Ayodhya and the Ayodhya Development Authority office.