Visakhapatnam railway station

Visakhapatnam Railway Station (station code: VSKP[1]) is a major railway station located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is administered under South Coast Railway zone.[2] In 2017, as part of Swachh Rail campaign, the Quality Council of India declared Visakhapatnam as the cleanest railway station in the country.[3] The station is a major stop on the Howrah–Chennai main line.

Visakhapatnam
Regional rail, Light rail & Goods railway station
Visakhapatnam Railway station
LocationGnanapuram, Railway New Colony, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 530004,
India
Coordinates17°43′20″N 83°17′23″E
Elevation5.970 metres (19.59 ft)
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated bySouth Coast Railway zone
Line(s)Khurda Road-Visakhapatnam section
Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada section
Visakhapatnam-Kirandul line
Platforms8
Tracks10
Construction
Structure typeOn-ground
Disabled access
Other information
StatusFunctioning
Station codeVSKP
Zone(s) South Coast Railway zone
Division(s) Waltair
ElectrifiedYes
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
Location in Andhra Pradesh
Visakhapatnam
Location in India

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 the largest railway station under then east coast railway and A1 category station . Visakhapatnam railway station is administered by the South Coast Railway of Indian Railways which is headquartered in Visakhapatnam and the same was announced on Feb 27 2019 by union railway minister Piyush Goyal.

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.[4] 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 was one of the busiest stations when it was part of East Coast Railway zone. On average, every train has a minimum halt period of 20 minutes.[5]

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. 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. [9]

Structure and amenities

The station is spread over an area of 103,178 m2 (1,110,600 sq ft), maintained by 222 employees.[10] 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. It is a wheelchair friendly station where almost all platforms are accessible via ramp on foot over bridge. The station has modern escalators and wifi facilities provided by Railtel and Google


See also

References
  1. "Station Code Index" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. 2015. p. 46. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  2. "Statement showing Category-wise No.of stations" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. 28 January 2016. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  3. "Vizag billed the cleanest rail station". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 18 May 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 4 January 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. "`Terminal' injustice". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  5. "Transportation fails to face festive rush". CityofVizag.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  6. "Major Events in the Formation of S.E. Railway". South Eastern Railway. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  7. "History of Waltair Division". Mannanna.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  8. "History". East Coast Railway. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  9. "East Coast Railway". eastcoastrail.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  10. "Station:Visakhapatnam".
Preceding station   Indian Railways   Following station
Marripalem
South Coast Railway zone
Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada section of Howrah-Chennai main line
Terminus
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