Vijayawada Junction Railway Station (station code:- BZA)[1] is an Indian Railways station in Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh, categorized as a Non-Suburban Grade-1 (NSG-1)[2] station in Vijayawada railway division.[3] Situated at the junction of Howrah–Chennai and New Delhi–Chennai main lines,[4][5] it is the fourth busiest railway station in the country after Howrah Junction, Kanpur Central and New Delhi.[6] The station serves about 1.40 lakh passengers, over 190 express and 170 freight trains every day.[5] It is one of the major railway junctions of the Indian Railways and is a nationally important halt. In September, 2023 It has been awarded Platinum Rating Certificate for its Environmental projects from IGBC ( Indian Green Building Council)
Vijayawada Junction Bezawada Junction | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Indian Railways station | ||||||||||||||||||||
 Vijayawada railway station | ||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Railway Station Rd, Hanumanpet, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh India | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 16°31′06″N 80°37′10″E / 16.5184°N 80.6195°E | |||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 19.354 metres (63.50 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Indian Railways | |||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | South Central Railway zone of Indian Railways | |||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Howrah–Chennai main line New Delhi–Chennai main line Vijayawada-Nidadavolu loop line | |||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | Bus stand, Auto, Taxi stand | |||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Standard (on-ground station) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible |  Available | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Active | |||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | BZA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Zone(s) | South Coast Railway zone | |||||||||||||||||||
| Division(s) | Vijayawada | |||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1888 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 51 millions approx. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||
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History
editThe Vijayawada city junction railway station was constructed in 1888 when the Southern Maharatta Railway's main eastward route was connected with other lines going through Vijayawada. In 1889, the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway constructed a line between Secunderabad railway station and Vijayawada as an extension railway for Bezawada; the station subsequently became a junction of three lines from different directions.
On 1 November 1899, the broad-gauge line was constructed between Vijayawada and Chennai, making rail journey between Chennai, Mumbai, Howrah, New Delhi and Hyderabad possible. In the following decades the Vijayawada railway station was developed into a junction until the nationalisation of all the independent railways in India occurred; following nationalisation, Indian Railways was formed under the Ministry of Railways in 1950 by the Government of India. The Vijayawada railway station, as the headquarters of Vijayawada Division, was assigned to the Southern Railway. In 1966, a new zone, South Central Railway, was formed, with Secunderabad as its headquarters; Vijayawada Division and Vijayawada Junction were merged with the new railway.
In 1969, the Golconda Express was introduced between Vijayawada and Secunderabad as the express steam-hauled train in the country, with an average speed of 58 km/h. As of 2012, the Vijayawada railway station is one of the busiest railway stations in India.[7]
Layout and infrastructure
editVijayawada station has the standard station layout, and has 10 platforms. All the tracks in the station are broad gauge and electrified. Trains have perfect traction inside the station. The seventh platform of the station is the largest of all.[8][9] Vijayawada station is a junction station for two main lines of Howrah–Chennai and New Delhi–Chennai main lines.[10][11]
In the FY 2009, the Indian Railways Company board allocated ₹3.5 crore (US$420,000) for improvements to the transport hub.[12] A central aspect of the improvements was an "Integrated Security Scheme" which included construction of a compound wall around the station premises and a reduction in the number of entrances as a precaution against terrorism. SCR recently installed Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM)s at Vijayawada Junction.[13] Recently the engineering department officials have completed a circuit lighting area near the station main entrance.[14] A 490 metre long and 20 feet wide foot over bridge is constructed connecting platforms 1 to 10 which will help passengers to walk less.[14] Cost of project is estimated to be 2 crores.[14]
The Vijayawada Junction also houses a Diesel Loco Shed which has the WDM-2 Locomotive and DEMU Shed with 2 Pit lines which have a 10, 9 DEMU Coaches Capacity also BZA have an Electric Loco Shed, Vijayawada which has the WAG-7, WAM-4(now scrapped or withdrawn), WAG-5 WAP-4WAP-7 locos.
The Vijayawada station was now arranged with a new Route Relay Interlocking system which returns the fast and punctual movement of trains into the city junction.
Vijayawada Coaching Depot has 5 pit lines for primary maintenance of trains originating from here.
Diesel Loco Shed, Vijayawada
edit| SN | Locomotives | HP | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | WDG-3A | 3100 | 11 |
| 2. | WDM-3D | 3300 | 4 |
| 3. | WDG-4/4D | 4000/4500 | 45 |
| 4. | WAG-9 | 6120 | 20 |
| Total Locomotives Active as of July 2024 | 80 | ||
Satellite stations
editThe Rayanapadu railway station has been developed by the Indian Railways to act as a satellite station to the Vijayawada Railway Station, in order to reduce the congestion on the former. [15]
Performance and earnings
edit
An average of 1.40 lakh passengers are served per day and 50 million annually. More than 250 passenger trains and 150 goods trains utilize the station daily, with each train stopping for at least 15 to 20 minutes.[5][16]
| No. of platforms | 10 | |
| Trains | Passenger | 258 |
| Freight | 150 | |
| Passengers | Per day | 1.40 lakh |
| Annual | 50 million | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Station Code Index" (PDF). Portal of Indian Railways. p. 46. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
- ^ Srinivas, Rajulapudi (12 September 2024). "Vijayawada railway station achieves NSG-1 status as annual revenue crosses ₹500 cr. mark". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
- ^ "Stations – Category-wise (NEW)". South Central Railway. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
- ^ "Vijayawada railway station fourth cleanest in India – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ^ a b c "Upgraded Gunadala rail station by March". Deccan Chronicle. Vijayawada. 19 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "Indian Railways' Vijayawada Railway Junction set for Rs 40 crore revamp and renovation". The Financial Express. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
- ^ "Vijayawada lays platform for Krishna fete". The Hindu. 23 August 2004. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
- ^ "Plans to develop railway station". The Hindu. Vijayawada. 24 March 2008. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ Murali Sankar, K.N. (12 April 2008). "Railway station sports a new look". The Hindu. Vijayawada-IN. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "Profile". South Central Railway. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "Jurisdiction". www.scr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
- ^ "Vijayawada railway junction struggles to keep pace with increasing rush". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009.
- ^ "SCR introduces mobile paper ticketing facility in 38 stations".
- ^ a b c "New facilities coming up at Vijayawada railway station". The New Indian Express. The New Indian Express. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ India, The Hans (20 January 2019). "Rayanapadu railway station to turn satellite from April". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "A way out to decongest Vijayawada railway station". The Hindu. Vijayawada. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
External links
edit
- South Central Railway
Vijayawada travel guide from Wikivoyage
