By Nishant Ketu

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India] January 16, (ANI): Vishakhapatnam is one of the major stations that will undergo redevelopment, as the Indian Railway is working towards upgrading several stations across the country, for providing world-class facilities to its passengers.

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The Railway officials said as per the plan, the station will be redeveloped on EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) model and the sanctioned cost for the upgradation is Rs 446.41 crore.

The major objective of station upgradation is to provide passengers with world-class facilities and also to enhance their travel experience.

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Speaking to ANI about this project, the DRM of Waltair Division, A K Sampati said the plan, drawing, and design are ready.

"Tender has already been awarded and the timeline is 36 months. The cost will roughly come to Rs 450 crore. The contractor has already started work. Soil testing and other works have already been done," he said.

Satpati added, "We are handling about 80,000 passengers per day. After the redevelopment, it will be a world-class building capable of handling 2.5 to 3 lakh passengers every day. It will offer the kind of concourse and the look which even the best airports in the world do not have."

The outlined scope of work for the selected contractor shall include the design and major redevelopment of the railway station, but not be limited to civil works and MEP for station building. The specified completion period for the redevelopment work is 36 months.

The upgraded station will be made accessible with state-of-the-art skywalks, facilitating a seamless passenger movement. A Roof Plaza connecting the departure halls of the railway station, having a common waiting area for all departing passengers shall be constructed above the platforms for facilitating the movement of passengers. A commercial area over the Multi-Level Car Parking shall be developed to facilitate the passengers.

The station will have IOT based Smart parking management system and will offer advance booking of parking slots through a mobile phone application and guidance to allotted parking spaces through digital signage. The station will also have retiring rooms, a medical emergency room, retail and office spaces and a cloakroom for the convenience of the passengers. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)