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New Delhi Railway Station Redevelopment

Client

Tractebel Engineering

My Role

UX & Urban Researcher

Tools

Secondary Research

Project Duration

3 Months
Placemaking Consultant

"Sarth Khare, through his comprehensive and well-researched study, has brought in a unique paradigm of users' perspective to the whole planning process. It covers all the aspects that would enhance a travellers' experience in the proposed railway station and introduce the concept of looking at transportation not as a journey but as a service and as an experience."

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—Rahul Jotshi, Senior General Manager, Tractebel Engineering

NDRS Redevelopment

Overview

The Rail Land Development Authority is redeveloping the New Delhi Railway Station area. At the heart of the capital city of New Delhi, it is one of the busiest railway stations of India. It sees a traffic of about 400 trains and about 0.4 million passengers arriving and departing every day.

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The contract of Detailed Master Planning, Urban Design and other feasibility studies of the Detailed Project Report was awarded to Tracetebel Engineering.

 

The redevelopment project involves the creation of a multi-modal hub through overhauling of infrastructure and provision of state-of-the-art amenities, such as an elevated concourse and multi-level car parking. The integrated development plan also includes commercial, retail and hospitality components on about 30 acres of land, next to the city's main business centre- Connaught Place.

Project Area

217 Acres

Project Cost

$850 million

People Affected

0.4 million daily
Overview

My Role

I was hired as an independent UX consultant to research on the commuters experience and to propose infrastructure that would be useful for the passengers commute.

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When I was onboarded as a consultant, the basic 'Area Program' had been compiled by Tractebel using Design Standards and they had already begun work on the Concept Design, Vehicular Circulations and Physical Connectivity. But, there was no focus on the User Experience would have in the mega transit hub yet.

Research Question

HOW CAN THE RAILWAY STATION PROVIDE EQUITABLE USER EXPERIENCE TO ALL?

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The key objective of this project is to provide superior passenger services to Railway passengers through state of art architecture, facilities and public amenities.

Research Question
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Identifying Users:

As a Railway station is primarily a transit space, the categorization of the user groups done on the basis of FAIR (Future Secure and Accessible Rail) Stations User Groups. 

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Identifying Touchpoints:

This study was done in identifying the crucial scenarios in which the station will be used by the users. The outcome of this study would help to identify touchpoints that Tractebel would need to focus on while designing the station. 

From the scenarios of the identified user group. Aligning these crucial topics with global multi-modal benchmarking indexes — touchpoints were identified. I further proposed the incorporation of these touchpoints within four broad categories in the station.

  1. Placemaking

  2. Circulation

  3. Future-Proofing

  4. Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS)

Research

User Research
Blind Spots

Findings and Blind Spots

The key objective of this project is to provide superior passenger services to Railway passengers through state of art architecture, facilities and public amenities.

 

But there were many Blind Spots when it came to the User Experience would have in the mega transit hub. I proposed to work on the following areas.

Sense of Belonging

Identify functions within the station that would help give the users a sense of  “place” and belonging. Creating a variety of public spaces that boost local pride.

Adaptable Design

Addressing the demands of "Cyber-Mentality" in a physical space and designing spaces allowing "Virtual Mobility" with the vision for accommodating design changes.

Aligned Approach

Align the needs of the Government of India, Ministry of Railways, the designers and stakeholders to ensure that the needs of the travellers is met.

Seamless Navigation

 Optimise travel time spent in transit within the multi-modal hub. Focus on Universal Accessibility with features of Seamless Personal Navigation which are aesthetically instinctive.

Virtually Connected

Seamlessly connect mobility services to a virtual platform, ensuring a digital experience that compliments the physical space and eliminates Information Asymmetry

Ecology

Contextualize the architectural design solutions to New Delhi's history, culture, ecology and to the urban fabric of its neighbourhoods.

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This study was done in identifying the crucial scenarios in which the station will be used by the users. The outcome of this study would help to identify touchpoints that Tractebel would need to focus on while designing the station. 

1. Placemaking

These set of design proposals focussed on making the area engaging and appealing to the travellers. These included—

  1. Creating Healthful Spaces &  Services

  2. Linking NDRS to Delhi's Greens

  3. Design to Enhance Sales

  4. Incorporating Public Art

  5. Designing Sensorially

3. Future-Proofing

These suggestions guide the designers to make the transit hub more adaptable and sustainable—

  1. Automated Retail

  2. Net-Zero Energy Building

  3. Gamifying Ecological Endeavors

  4. Mobility on Demand

  5. Intelligent Systems, IoT & Data Feedback Loops

  6. First 5G Enables Station in India

2. Circulation

This part of the study focussed on integrating services that would make the end-to-end journey easier—

  1. Creating a Cycling Infrastructure

  2. Baggage free Experience

  3. Gamify Walking

  4. Seamless personal navigation through technology

  5. Designing for people with reduced mobility

4. ITeS

These suggestions help in integrating the services in a digital space and eliminate information asymmetry—

  1. Mobility as a Service

  2. Aggregating services

  3. Linking private and public modes of transport

  4. One Digital Space for everything

  5. Integrating Customer Touchpoints 

Here are some of these proposals in detail.

Please click the button to view the entire presentation

Insights & Recommendations

Challenges

  1. In such a grand project, the focus of the stakeholders were on tangible infrastructure, the investments and the urban design and the component of the User Experience felt left out. To convince them of the importance of the Users needs was not an easy process.

  2. Because the project was not made public, there was difficulty in recruiting people for the study. Also, the research project was short term. If it ran parallel to the redevelopment project, it could have more potential of bringing change.

  3. The study was done during the pandemic, otherwise focus groups could be held and contextual interviews done.

Client Testimonial
Design Concepts

Research Impact

  1. After looking at the research, the stakeholders started looking at transportation “not as a journey but as a service and as an experience” and adopted the phrase.

  2. The concept of “Windows of India” - A retail space for local brands and services was readily adopted and designated space in the retail section.

  3. Pushed the need of the movement of pedestrians and people with restricted mobility at the forefront of design.

  4. The stakeholders also adopted the concept of seeing the redevelopment as a way to tie in to the historicity and ecology of the context of New Delhi, as something organic to the city. Especially the suggestion to highlight indigenous arts, crafts, products and skills throughout the station and to make the station - a gateway to Delhi.

  5. Prompted the stakeholders to tie the project with other urban development schemes within the city as suggested by the research.

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