The Vijayawada railway station, which is one of the busiest in the country, is expected to be decongested with the development of a few stations on its outskirts into satellite stations.
Authorities of the Vijayawada Division have appraised their higher-ups at the South Central Railway (SCR) headquarters about the need for development of satellite stations, particularly Gunadala and Kondapalli, and are anticipating some movement on that front, according to official sources.
This is attributed to the growing importance of Vijayawada and Guntur stations, which are situated in the core Capital area of Andhra Pradesh.
Officials are learnt to be working out the cost factor of developing the satellite stations and connecting them to Vijayawada station by laying new lines. Only then, decongestion of Vijayawada station becomes possible.
The number of trains (both passenger and freight) that pass through Vijayawada in a span of 24 hours stands at 300-plus.
The Railway Board is expected to give its nod for development of the satellite stations in the wake of the State government releasing a sum of Rs. 120 crore for the long-awaited doubling and electrification of Vijayawada-Gudivada-Narsapuram-Bhimavaram and Guntur-Tenali lines.
Vijayawada Railway Station Users’ Consultative Committee member Naraharisetti Srihari told The Hindu that satellite stations were absolutely essential for reducing the load on Vijayawada station. It would be passengers who would benefit from the projects.
Some trains could be diverted via the satellite stations, thereby provide easy access to passengers, he observed. He insisted that all small stations around Vijayawada and Guntur should be upgraded in view of their significance for better mobility in the Capital region.
