Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, announced that the Bhoomipuja for the new South Coast Railway Zone headquarters, which will be built in Visakhapatnam, would take place soon, likely between Dussehra and Diwali. Speaking after the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express between Visakhapatnam and Durg in Chhattisgarh on 17 September 2024, alongside MPs M Sribharat and Golla Babu Rao, he highlighted that this new train would bolster the development of North Andhra Pradesh.
“The issue of the lands has been cleared in the last three months. We have handed over the land to the Indian Railways as per their wishes,” he said. This is in line with the recent information released about the Visakhapatnam railway zone by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during a press meeting. The Railway Minister confirmed that the 52 acres of allotted land at Mudarsalova had been handed over to the Centre. With steps being taken by both the State and Central governments, the construction of the Railway Zone headquarters may begin soon.
The project, which had been announced in 2019, had been facing delays due to a land allotment issue that arose while Vizag was under the authority of the YSRCP-led government. The TDP-led government, however, has renewed its focus on the construction, said Ashwini Vaishnaw. With Rammohan Naidu’s assurance of the Bhoomipuja happening soon, the Visakhapatnam Railway Zone headquarters is closer to becoming a reality.
Vande Bharat gets flagged off
Waltair Divisional Manager Saurabh Prasad, Andhra Pradesh TDP president Palla Srinivas, MLAs Ganababu and Vishnukumar Raju, and district collector Harendira Prasad were also present at the inauguration of the Visakhapatnam-Durg Vande Bharat.
The new Vande Bharat train (20829/30) will operate six days a week, excluding Thursdays for maintenance, which will be carried out at Durg station. The train, consisting of 16 coaches, will depart Durg at 5:45 AM and arrive in Vizag at 1:45 PM. The return trip will depart from Vizag at 2:50 PM and reach Durg by 10:50 PM, with stops at key stations like Vizianagaram, Rayagada, Kesinga, Titlagarh, and Raipur.
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