Visakhapatnam railway station

Visakhapatnam
Regional rail, Light rail & Goods railway station
Clockwise from Right to Left Main Entrance of Visakhapatnam Railway station Bhubaneshwar bound Intercity Express at Visakhapatnam Guntur bound Simhadri Express at Visakhapatnam Dakshin link Express at Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam Railway station overview
Location	Gnanapuram, Railway New Colony, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 530004,  India
Coordinates	17°43′20″N 83°17′23″E / 17.7221°N 83.2897°E / 17.7221; 83.2897
Elevation	5.970 metres (19.59 ft)
Owned by	Indian Railways
Operated by	East Coast Railway
Line(s)	Khurda Road-Visakhapatnam section Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada section Visakhapatnam-Kirandul line
Platforms	8
Tracks	10
Construction
Structure type	On-ground
Disabled access
Other information
Status	Functioning
Station code	VSKP
Zone(s)	East Coast Railway
Division(s)	Waltair Railway Division
Electrified	Yes
Route map km to Khurda Road-Visakhapatnam section to Kothavalasa-Kirandul line 24 Kothavalasa 15 Pendurti 8 Simhachalam North 7 Simhachalam 6 Gopalapatnam NH 16 Marshalling yard on right lines 4 Marripalem / Visakhapatnam Airport Naval Dockyard Essar Steel Iron Ore sidings 9 Kottapalem Visakhapatnam Port - Inner harbour 0 Visakhapatnam Hindustan Zinc BHPV NH 16 Coromandel International Visakhapatnam Refinery of HPCL Visakhapatnam port channel in blue Visakhapatnam Port - Inner harbour Hindustan Shipyard Limited Visakhapatnam Port - Outer harbour Dolphin's Nose (hill with lighthouse) Link to Bay of Bengal Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Gangavaram Port 17 Duvvada NH 16 Simhadri STPP of NTPC 27 Thadi NH 16 33 Anakapalle to Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada section
Location
Visakhapatnam railway station Location in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam junction railway station (station code:VSKP)^[1] is a major railway station located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. The railway station falls under the East Coast Railway zone of Indian Railways. The station has been termed the cleanest station of India by the Ministry of Railways.^[2] The station is a major stop on the Howrah–Chennai main line.

The city's railway station was originally called Waltair railway station. In around 1987, Mr. D. V. Subbarao, the then mayor of Visakhapatnam, changed the name to Visakhapatnam which is largest railway station under east coast railway and A1 category station . Visakhapatnam railway station is administered by the East Coast Railway of Indian Railways and is the headquarters for the Waltair Railway Division. It will be de-linked from East Coast Railway once a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh is formed and will be part of new zone according to AP Reorganisation act 2014 with head quarters in visakhapatnam itself which is most earning junction in Andhra Pradesh.

Overview

The station is a terminal station; trains must go back the same way as they come. With many trains arriving at the same time platforms are not always available. In case any train is late, the other trains are stopped at Duvvada or Vizianagaram.^[3] The Route Relay Interlocking (RRI) system, an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings, is reported to be one of the major causes for these trains being delayed after Duvvada Station.

Over 5,000 people travel between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad every day. To clear the rush, there are over 18 trains connecting Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad. The Godavari Express, one of the most prestigious trains of the South Central Railway, is considered the best way between the cities. However, the rush for the train is too high, that tickets have to be booked before two months from the journey.It is one of the most busiest station in East coast railway zone. On an average of at least 20 mins halt will be given for every train.^[4]

Structure and amenities

The station is spread over an area of 103,178 m² (1,110,600 sq ft), maintained by 222 employees.^[5] The station has 08 platforms and all the tracks are broad gauge and electrified. Almost all platforms are in same size. The station has East and West terminals equipped with reservation counters and has Inter Model Transport Facility for Bus Station.

History

During 1893–1896, the 1,287 km (800 mi) long tracks covering the entire coastal stretch from Cuttack to Vijayawada, was built and opened to traffic by Bengal Nagpur Railway which was later renamed as South Eastern Railway.^[6][7]Bengal Nagpur Railway’s line to Cuttack was opened on 1 January 1899.^[6] The 514 km (319 mi) long northern portion of the East Coast line to Cuttack, including the branch line to Puri, was taken over by Bengal Nagpur Railway in 1902.^[7][8] The southern part was subsequently merged with Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway.^[9] East Coast Railway zone of Indian Railways came into existence in its present form with effect from 1 April 2003. The geographical jurisdiction of the railway is however extended over three states encompassing almost all parts of Orissa along with parts of Srikakulam, Vizainagaram and Visakhapatnam districts of North Eastern Andhra Pradesh, and Bastar and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh State. As such, these regions with a long coastal line are rich in mineral and other natural resources, and are on the threshold of an industrial upsurge. ^[10]

See also

• Waltair railway division
• East Coast Railway zone

References

External links

• Visakhapatnam travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Visakhapatnam railway station arrival and departures.

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