Land levelling works under way for the construction of six new platforms on the Gnanapuram side of Visakhapatnam railway station.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
The Waltair Division has achieved the distinction of being the fifth highest in revenue earning and fifth in loading performance across Indian Railways this year. It has achieved the highest growth among the top ten loading divisions. The division has ferried 30.58 million passengers this year, 10% more than last year (till November).
The division has handled a freight of 73.5 MT till November, registering a growth of 8.5% over last year. The revenue earned through freight has been put at ₹9,030 crore, which is 11% higher than last year.
The passenger revenue earned by the division has been put at ₹788 crore, 6.5% higher than last year.
A major area of concern that has been upsetting the passengers coming to Visakhapatnam Junction at the fag end of their journeys is the bunching of trains after Anakapalli and Duvvada stations. To ensure a smooth flow of traffic, the railways have sanctioned the third and fourth lines between Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatnam (15.31 km), the demand for which has been pending for long.
The South Coast Railway (SCoR), which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019, is expected to start functioning from its headquarters in Visakhapatnam soon.
Waltair Division was truncated, and a part of it has been merged with Rayagada, which is being carved out as a new division to be merged with East Coast Railway (ECoR). The remaining part will be retained under SCoR, with a new name, Visakhapatnam Division.
The construction of the SCoR Zonal headquarters building resumed near Mudasarlova Reservoir in the city this year, after an inordinate delay.
The leased accommodation at ‘The Deck’ building is getting ready, and the temporary office of SCoR is expected to begin in a few weeks. A gazette notification on SCoR is pending, and once that is done, the zone can be operationalised.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had virtually laid the foundation stone for the third and fourth line works between Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatnam, during his visit to Kurnool earlier this year. The work has commenced and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
Over 350 km of double lines have been commissioned this year across the difficult terrain of Kottavalasa-Kirandul (KK), Koraput-Rayagada and Rayagada sections.
Station Redevelopment
The redevelopment of Visakhapatnam Junction has been delayed by more than a year. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat attributes the delay to tender-related issues, the change in structural designs twice and the addition of more amenities to the proposed structure.
The present vendor has agreed to complete the redevelopment works within 21 months. A total of six new platforms would be added to the existing eight at Visakhapatnam Junction, taking the total to 14.
The new platforms and the construction of the 3rd and 4th line between Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatnam, are expected to ease the holding up of trains coming into Visakhapatnam, between Duvvada and Visakhapatnam Junction, Mr. Sribharat adds.
Published – December 26, 2025 11:03 pm IST
