India on June 15 approved a $1.2 billion modernization plan for New Delhi's main railway station, which transports some 300,000 passengers a day, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
The station is one of the country's largest, handling more than 250 trains a day. As part of the upgrade, the dingy station near the crowded Paharganj tourist area will be fully air-conditioned, earlier reports said.
India's 150-year-old railway, which transports more than 15 million people daily, is notorious for its antiquated equipment, financial losses, delays and red tape. The sprawling network serving India's 1.1 billion people reports about 300 accidents a year, many deadly, and is also the target of terror attacks.
India is pushing to spruce up its capital ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games here.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
