The project for the redevelopment of the Visakhapatnam Railway Station has been awarded to the consortium of Braithwaite and Cognition Projects by the Indian Railways. The current passenger handling capacity of the station is 81,000 passengers per day. Once the redevelopment project is done, this number is expected to go up to 1,50,000 per day. According to an official from the division, the station will be able to handle 15,000 passengers during peak hour traffic.
The total sanctioned cost of the project is Rs 446.41 crore. However, the tender awarded to Braithwaite and Cognition Projects is Rs 388.91 crore, according to the division. The project is said to envisage enhanced passenger safety, comfort, and convenience. It will also facilitate uni-directional passenger flow with effective separation of arrivals and departures. There will be 24 lifts and 31 escalators, space for podium parking, a pedestrian plaza, and a green area. A detailed survey for the preparation of the master plan is being done. Soil testing is going on at the site right now. Steps will be taken to ensure that passenger movement is unobstructed during the construction.
According to a senior official of the Waltair Railway Division, other upgradation works will include external service, street lighting, landscaping, and the boundary wall. The official also added, “There will be harmonious and complementary co-existence of the railway terminal and the proposed real estate development. We have adopted a self-financing model with the monetization of vacant land/air space for the project.” The Waltair Division is carrying out no further land acquisition required for the project.
Efficient inter-platform transfers, implementation of leading-edge technologies, creation of innovative services and solutions for the old, unwell, and differently-abled passengers, and management of luggage services/cloakroom will be some of the aspects of the project. The railway colony will also be facelifted as a part of the redevelopment of the Visakhapatnam Railway Station, according to the master plan. The completion target is set for September 2025.
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