Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Amaravati, October 27 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati railway stations should be developed as iconic railway stations.
He said that the proposed Amravati Railway Station should also be developed as a special attraction.
The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of several railway projects in the state with railway officials in a meeting held at the State Secretariat.
The Chief Minister said that redevelopment work of Vijayawada Railway Station should be started immediately and a skywalk should be constructed at Tirupati Railway Station for the benefit of pilgrims.
Railway officials told the Chief Minister that the development work of 73 railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is in progress.
The Chief Minister directed railway officials to resolve the issues in Kothavalasa-Kirandol and Kothavalasa-Vizianagaram sections.
He said that the works of South Coast Railway sector should be expedited. When he asked officials to complete the Rajahmundry station development works before Godavari Pushkaram, officials said the upgradation work costing Rs 271 crore would be completed, and efforts were being made to run 1,012 special trains for Pushkaram.
The Chief Minister asked railway officials to improve railway connectivity to ports including Mulapet, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Ramayapatnam. He said that the state government is focusing on the development of logistics on a large scale and the railway authorities should cooperate in this direction.
He discussed the progress of Nadikudi-Kalahasti, Guntur-Guntakal, Gunadala-Mustabad bypass and Rayadurg-Tumukuru railway lines. The Chief Minister discussed with the officials various railway project works worth Rs 33,630 crore.
CM Naidu also discussed the Hyderabad-Bengaluru elevated corridor via Amaravati. He said that a bullet train connecting Amravati International Airport should be proposed in future.
He also mentioned the progress of the proposed 1,564 km new railway lines in the state. He said that the state government is committed to develop the state as a logistics corridor and railway connectivity to North-South and West-East should be improved.
The CM accepted the Railways’ proposal to allot land for a new railway coaching terminal at Gannavaram. He said that the railway authorities are also planning to develop railway coaching terminals in Vijayawada and Guntur.
Minister BC Janardhan Reddy, principal secretary MT Krishnababu, South Central Railway general manager Sanjay Srivastava and other officials were present.
–IANS
MS/UK