Vizag station to get Rs 4.60 bn revamp; be HQ of new zone

The Visakhapatnam railway station is set for an Rs 4.60 billion makeover under the station redevelopment programme, as the city would become the headquarters of a new zone, South Coast Railway Zone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the project this week. The upgraded station will have modern skywalks, facilitating passenger movement, and a roof plaza connecting the departure halls with a common waiting area above the platforms. Retiring tooms, a medical emergency room, multi-level car parking, retail and office spaces, and others are also planned. Bengal Nagpur Railway, which was later named South Eastern Railway, built the 1,287-km line from Cuttack to Vijayawada between 18930-1896. The Waltair Railway Station was founded in 1896. At present, 120 trains pass through the Visakhapatnam station, including 38 trains starting from the port city. The footfall of the Visakhapatnam Railway station is around 50,000 per day and the numbers go up to 80,000-100,000 on festival days. The redevelopment of the Vizag railway station was mooted in 2017. The present station has eight platforms and there are plans for the construction of another two platforms. The modernised station building will have a built-up area of more than 35,000 sq m. See also: MMRDA seeks bids for Mumbai Metro Line 2B works64-km metro line being proposed for Chandigarh to reduce traffic