New Intermodal Station to take off in Tirupati soon

Tirupati: The Rs 500 crore Intermodal Station project proposed to be built in Tirupati by the Central government is set to accelerate very soon. The proposal has been pending for the last one year with the Tirupati city town planning department’s objections over the number of floors to be built in the new complex. But for this, the foundation stone would have been laid almost a year ago by the Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy constantly pursued the proposal by emphasising the necessity of the project. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has completed the detailed project report (DPR) for it already. Initially planned as a 15-storey building, the design has been adjusted to 11 floors following objections from the town planning department which prevented the stone laying ceremony last year.

While it took time to initiate further processes, the government went into election mode. Now, MP Gurumoorthy met with Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Wednesday, urging the immediate initiation of construction of the new Intermodal Station in Tirupati. He said that the minister has responded positively, confirming that the tendering process will be completed within the next month and followed by the commencement of works.

Keeping in view the necessity of the project in the major pilgrim centre, the MP has been advocating for this as the present RTC central bus station, one of the busiest in Andhra Pradesh with an average of 1.7 lakh passengers and 4,000 buses daily, can no longer meet the growing demand.

Already, it is overcrowded both in terms of number of passengers and vehicles as well. Previous proposals for a new terminal at a different site had failed, making the decision to upgrade the existing location a pragmatic solution.

The station will be constructed on a 13-acre centrally located site, with the aim of reducing road congestion by integrating various transit modes at a single hub. The project will include a passenger terminal, bus terminal, car and two-wheeler parking, a helipad and a ropeway, alongside commercial facilities such as a retail zone, food court and hotel. Additional features may include a passenger lounge, devotee counters, medical facilities, baby care rooms, ATMs and an EV charging station.

The development will be managed by NHAI in collaboration with the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), with an MoU signed on August 18, 2022, between NHLML and the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation for the joint development of the station. Despite delays due to planning objections, the project is set to move forward with tenders expected soon. Once the project takes off, it may be accelerated further as both the central and state governments are keen on it which will become a major facility in the pilgrim city.