Rail authorities to upgrade Vizag station with Rs. 393 cr

The upgraded station will be universally accessible with state-of-the-art skywalks facilitating seamless passenger movement. A roof plaza connecting departure halls of railway station, having a common waiting area for all departing passengers will be constructed above the platforms

Vishakhapatnam: The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has decided to complete redevelopment of Visakhapatnam Railway Station at a cost of Rs 393 crore from the date of finalisation of bidder.

"Once completed, it will further give a facelift to the railway station also known as Waltair Railway Station," a senior official told Bizz Buzz. The station is one of the model railway stations in the East Coast Railways headquartered at Bhubaneswar.

The BJP-led NDA Government has decided to create a separate zone with headquarters at Visakhapatnam though the progress in executing it is a bit slow following demand by the locals not to wind up the profit-making Waltair Railway Division.

RLDA has already invited RFP (Request for Proposal) for the major upgradation of the Vishakhapatnam Railway Station. The station will be redeveloped on EPC (Engineering Procurement & Construction) model and the tentative cost for the upgradation is estimated at Rs 393 crore.

The major objective of station upgradation is to provide the passengers with world-class facilities and enhance their travel experience. The outlined scope of work for the selected bidder shall include design and major redevelopment of the railway station, but not limited to carrying out civil works and MEP works for the station building. The pre-bid was held on June 29 and clarifications of developers/EPC Contractors were answered. The specified completion period for the redevelopment work is 36 months and the deadline for bid submission is August 12.

The upgraded station will be universally accessible with state-of-the-art skywalks facilitating seamless passenger movement. A roof plaza connecting departure halls of railway station, having a common waiting area for all departing passengers will be constructed above the platforms for facilitating the movement of passengers. Commercial area over the multi-level car parking will be developed for facilitating the passengers.

The station will have Internet of Things-based smart parking management system. It will have the possibility of advance booking of parking slot through mobile app and guidance to allotted parking space through digital signage. The station will also have retiring rooms, medical emergency room, retail and office spaces and cloak room for the convenience of the commuters once the project envisaged is completed.

"The city of Visakhapatnam is one of the fastest growing cities of the country. The growth of the IT sector in the recent times has significantly boosted the economic activities of the city. The upgradation of the Visakhapatnam station will have multiplier impact of the local economy and will further accentuate its growth and development," said Ved Parkash Dudeja, Vice Chairman of RLDA, said in a media release.

Visakhapatnam railway station is the major halt on the Howrah-Chennai main railway line. The station is well connected to the city and surrounding areas via Station Road and Port Main Road and is administered under the East Coast Railway Zone.

RLDA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Railways for the development of railway land for commercial use. It has mainly four major parts in its development plan, namely leasing commercial sites, colony upgradation, station upgradation, and multi-functional complexes.

During the last quarter, RLDA has leased out five sites at Liluah (Howrah), Nizamabad, Waltax Road (Chennai), Egmore (Chennai) and Bhopal for a total upfront lease premium of Rs 142 crore. In addition, approximately Rs 93 crore of railway assets will be developed in Bhopal and Egmore (Chennai) railway colonies.