East Coast Railway General Manager Vidya Bhushan on Thursday visited Visakhapatnam Railway Station and commissioned a 350-watt rooftop solar photovoltaic plant and a renovated passenger lounge on Platform 1.
The photovoltaic plant, installed atop the platform shelters, can generate 1,200 units of electricity per day and will account for savings of ₹10 lakh a year for the Railways, officials said.
As part of his visit, Mr. Vidya Bhushan inspected various amenities being provided at the railway station along with Divisional Railway Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava.
Mr. Vidya Bhushan inspected the battery-operated cars that are used to ferry passengers at a nominal fare. Interacting with the ‘Meri Saheli’ team, a special task force of the Railway Police Force (RPF) to assist women passengers at stations and on trains, the GM lauded the efforts of the women RPF team in rescuing children and cracking down on trafficking of girl children.
Health kiosk
A mobile health kiosk was inaugurated on Platform 1 of the railway station. The health kiosk was set up under the non-fare revenue initiative where any passenger can undergo a health check-up by paying ₹100 for 30 kinds of tests. A mobile health kiosk called Health on Wheels is also the part of the new initiative which will be available on demand at the platform.
Mr. Vidya Bhushan inaugurated the renovated ‘Reserved Lounge’ on Platform 1. The lounge offers modern amenities such as recliners, cushioned sofas, relaxing chairs, and automated fans and lights, all added as part of the station’s redevelopment.
He inaugurated through video-conference various facilities like a Foot Over-Bridge at Kotabommali, a loco shunting neck at Vizianagaram, an automatic coach washing plant in Visakhapatnam, air-conditioning of the running room for crew at Bacheli, closed circuit TV facility at Srikakulam Road and Limited Height Subways at Marripalem and Mangalapalem.
Mr. Shrivastava apprised Mr. Vidya Bhushan of the various development activities done across the division.
The GM also inspected the newly-built entrance arch of the Visakhapatnam Railway Station and inspected construction works on the station façade, which are in progress.
He also visited the theme park called Van Vihar Park, developed at Marripalem Railway Colony. During his inspection at the station, the GM interacted with railway union leaders of Shramik Congress and Shramik Union.
The General Manager was accompanied by the Divisional Railway Manager, Principal Chief Operations Manager Pramod Kumar Jena, Principal Chief Engineer N.S. Ukey, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer Gautam Dutta, ADRM (Infra) Akshay Saxena and ADRM (Operations) Suryalakshmi.
