Chandragiri station to get terminal facility soon in Tirupati

Tirupati: In a significant move, Chairman of Railway Board (CRB) Vinod Kumar Yadav has agreed to consider the possibilities in developing and expanding Chandragiri Station as terminal station to decongest traffic in Tirupati. Tirupati station has become very much congested with increasing number of passengers and trains for the past few years due to which the Railway authorities could not introduce new trains though there were many demands. Since, Chandragiri station is having vacant government land which can be utilised to develop coaching terminal facility there.

Chandragiri MLA and Government Whip Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy met the CRB in Tirupati on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum to him stressing the need to develop Chandragiri station. He mentioned that Chandragiri station will be nearer to either Srivari Mettu or Alipiri from where pilgrims can trek to Tirupati. As the town is also just 10 kms away from Tirupati by operating several trains from Chandragiri, Tirupati station can be decongested siginificantly.

The CRB has responded positively and decided to conduct a joint survey by government and railway authorities on the availability of land there. He asked the General Manager of South Central Railway Gajanan Mallya and Divisional Railway Manager Alok Tiwari to visit Chandragiri station on Wednesday itself to examine the feasibility of the proposal.

Regarding Visakha Railway Zone, Yadav said that the detailed project report was being made and it will be completed within a year. But he was non-committal on the Balaji railway division with Tirupati as headquarters. He said the government has to take a decision in this regard. On the pending world-class smart railway station in Tirupati, he said the proposal was awaiting State government's green signal. After getting the nod, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) will invite tenders and take up the project, he said. Later, He along with other officials visited Carriage Repair Shop (CRS) in Renigunta and inaugurated LHB Fiat Bogie Maintenance Facility.

On Tuesday, CRB held inspections at Tirupati station and Tirupati West stations. He said that the vacant railway lands at West station will be utilised for creating facilities. MP B Durga Prasad Rao submitted a representation to him seeking the establishment of new railway station at Chandragiri to avoid congestion at Tirupati. He also requested the CRB to introduce two circular trains from Chennai to Chittoor as connecting trains.