Tirupati station revamp gets a boost from National Highways Authority of India

Tirupati: In a major step towards redevelopment of Tirupati railway station, a part of Madanapalle- Naidupet section of NH-71, which runs close to it, is all set to be de-notified by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Revamping the Tirupati railway station has been on the cards for some time now and the railway authorities have now decided to have the portion of the highway to expand the station further. The expansion of the station would meet the requirement of the passengers for the next 30 years.

The estimated cost is about Rs 500 crore. The expansion of the station would be executed joinly by the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) and the Railway Land Development Authority in a PPP mode.

While major development will be taken up on the south side of the station, on the north side where the existing main entrance is located, it has limited scope to implement its ambitious plans for want of space.

The idea is to have a piazza covering the entrance, water fountains and greenery on the northern side. However, it involves difficult work like removing small hotels in front of the station building and show the hotel owners alternative place to do their business by establishing modern food courts and shopping complex, and demolishing the railway reservation complex, among other things.

For this, they first need complete possession of the road on the north side, which belongs to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The South Central Railway has written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, New Delhi to de-notify a portion of NH-71 in front of the railway station.

Later on, on instructions from the ministry, NHAI's Regional Officer has sent a letter to the Ministry that a small piece from kilometre 109/400 to 111/400 may be de-notified as desired by the railways. The idea was to stop vehicular traffic on this route and confine it only for pedestrians.

Guntakal Divisional Railway Manager Vijay Prathap Singh told The Hans India that this was a positive step as the railways take up the major task. Once the Ministry de-notifies the portion of the national highway, it will go into the hands of the municipal corporation which is ready to complete other formalities and hand it over to the SCR.

Till now, the proposals on the northern side could not move forward as the road was with the NHAI. Under the redevelopment initiative, South side will become the crucial part with ample parking space, multiplex, star hotel, retiring/ rest rooms, commercial complex and a host of other things.

The railways having revised the development plan are calling fresh tenders. Though there is no problem on the south side, some technical issues are involved in it. These issues will be addressed, and fresh tenders will be floated probably by January. “We want to develop Tirupati station on par with international standards.

We are planning the development from Chandragiri to Renigunta. All the level crossings will be removed as per our policy and RUBs or ROBs have been sanctioned at all level crossing gates in between Chandragiri and Renigunta. We will discuss with the Corporation officials proposed RUB at Rayala Cheruvu gate and will see that it will be completed in the next 8-10 months,” the DRM said.