City circular rly stations find no place in budget

Vijayawada: The long-pending demand for upgrading existing railway stations at Gunadala, Rayanapadu, Krishna Nagar (Tadepalli) around Vijayawada city as circular railway stations did not get place in the recent Union Budget even the proposal assumed importance from Amaravati capital city developments.

Highlights:

• Modernisation and upgradation plans are vital at the present juncture as new developments are coming up in the limits of Vijayawada city
• Only nominal funds are sufficient for execution of the project

The modernisation and upgradation plans are vital at the present juncture as new developments are coming up in the limits of Vijayawada city. The railway officials have been neglecting the proposal for the last two decades. The upgradation is required for future needs of Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati but railway budget did not address the issue though only nominal funds are sufficient for execution of the project.

The need for establishment of circular stations was identified by railway officials in the past and sent a proposal to Railway Ministry in this regard. The city has been witnessing huge developments from various reasons along with capital city plans. The Vijayawada railway station is the second busiest railway junction in the country after Chatrapati Sivaji terminal in Mumbai. Nearly 400 express and goods trains pass through the station every day and more than one lakh passengers visit the station.

In this backdrop, it has become a difficult task for authorities to provide platforms for all the trains at Vijayawada railway station. The Kolkata-Hyderabad bound trains need to change engine direction at the railway station to continue their onward journey. It takes at least 20 minutes for each train to change engine direction causing inconvenience to officials to provide platform for all the trains.

Despite increased number of platforms from 7 to 10 in the recent past, still they are not sufficient to accommodate trains. The Vijayawada station is biggest junction point to all the trains which pass between north and south directions in the country.

The trains are forced to halt at Rayanapadu, Krishna Canal and Gunadala stations waiting for allotment of platforms. If these stations are converted into circular stations, some trains could be diverted and operated from respective stations directly, said Shaik Allauddin, former member of Zonal Railway Users Committee.

He said railways should take these steps as they need nominal funds to make necessary changes. One senior official on condition of anonymity said that they have been sending the proposals for several years to higher officials but in vain.

By Patibandla Srinivas