Vijayawada: In a significant development, the 125th public private partnership appraisal committee (PPPAC), headed by the department of economic affairs, has unanimously recommended the proposal for the redevelopment of Vijayawada railway station under the design, build, finance, operate & transfer (DBFOT) model on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.The empowered committee (EC) has recommended granting ‘in-principle approval’ for viability gap funding (VGF) support for the project.The total project cost is estimated at Rs 661.11 crore, with the maximum capital expenditure grant under the VGF share pegged at Rs 264 crore, which is approximately 40% of the total project cost. The ministry of railways (MoR) is set to provide Rs 132 crore under the VGF scheme, which is around 20% of the total project cost. The total outlay for the station redevelopment stands at Rs 946.60 crore, with development works worth Rs 661.11 crore to be executed under the mandatory component and works worth Rs 285.49 crore under the non-mandatory component.The redevelopment project aims to enhance passenger amenities, improve transport connectivity, alleviate rail traffic congestion, and stimulate tourism and economic growth. The station building will be constructed on a total area of 50.14 acres, with a total floor area of approximately 1.54 lakh square meters, designed to accommodate 20,000 peak hour traffic. The project includes redevelopment of the East Side and West Side station buildings, foot over bridges, skywalk, and multi-level car parking.Vijayawada railway station is one of the busiest railway stations in the country, with over 370 passenger trains halting daily.The station currently features 10 platforms, 24 tracks, and 4-foot overbridges and shares traffic with nearby satellite stations such as Krishna Canal Junction, Gunadala, and Rayanapadu. The station currently handles around 57,000 daily boardings and a total footfall of approximately 1.14 lakh passengers, both of which are projected to nearly double over the next 40 years. The master plan is designed to handle daily passengers of two lakh and peak hour traffic (PHT) of 20,000 passengers for the next 40 years.As part of the station redevelopment, 106 existing residential quarters are planned to be demolished and relocated. Three out of the four existing foot over bridges will be dismantled, and a new central foot over bridge, 12 meters wide, will be constructed along with two side foot over bridges, each 3 meters wide. The side FOBs are planned to connect the outer areas on both sides of the station, while the central FOB links the east and west sides of the station.
