New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) In a major boost to passenger infrastructure and operational efficiency, the Indian Railways has approved the remodelling of the Visakhapatnam Coaching Yard of the South Coast Railway at a cost of Rs 299 crore, with the project aiming to significantly enhance the station’s handling capacity, improve punctuality and provide modern passenger amenities at one of the busiest railway terminals in the country, the Railway Ministry said on Thursday.
The sanctioned project includes comprehensive remodelling of the Visakhapatnam Coaching Yard through construction of six additional lines and platforms along with Electronic Interlocking (EI). The scope of work includes widening of the existing six platforms as well, the Railway Ministry statement said.
The remodelling project will significantly improve operational efficiency by reducing congestion within the coaching yard, increasing platform availability and facilitating smoother movement of trains. The additional infrastructure will enable Visakhapatnam station to handle growing passenger demand while improving punctuality and reducing detention of trains.
Visakhapatnam Railway Station is a major coaching terminal handling nearly 80,000 passengers every day with an average of 113 trains daily. Owing to the existing yard layout, terminating and through trains are required to negotiate surface crossings, leading to detention at approach signals, reduced platform availability and operational constraints.
The yard remodelling will minimise the impact of these surface crossings, reduce detention time, improve platform occupancy and enable handling of additional trains. Besides, the project includes the creation of a new entrance on the eastern side of the station along with relocation of the passenger reservation system.
Indian Railways has also approved a Rs 220 crore project for upgradation of the Electric Traction System from 1×25 kV to 2×25 kV on the Wadi-Raichur section of the South Central Railway. The project covers a 102 Route Kilometre double-line section and forms part of Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to modernise traction infrastructure on key rail corridors, according to an official statement.
The upgraded traction system will strengthen traction infrastructure and support higher traffic requirements on one of the important sections of the railway network. The Wadi-Raichur section is part of the High Density Network (HDN) Route-7 connecting Mumbai-Pune-Wadi-Raichur-Guntakal-Kadapa-Renigunta-Chennai, the statement said.
The adoption of the 2×25 kV Electric Traction System will strengthen the existing electric traction infrastructure and improve the capability of the section to handle increasing passenger and freight traffic. The upgraded system will enhance operational efficiency while supporting reliable train operations on this strategically important corridor, the statement added.
–IANS
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