Vijayawada Junction railway station

Vijayawada Junction విజయవాడ జంక్షన్
Vijayawada Railway station
Location	Railway Station Rd, Hanumanpet, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh India
Coordinates
Operated by	Indian Railways
Line(s)	Tenali-Repalle branch line
Platforms	10
Tracks	22
Construction
Structure type	Standard (on ground station)
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access
Other information
Station code	BZA
Zone(s)	South Central Railway
Division(s)	Vijayawada
History
Opened	1888 (1888)
Traffic
Passengers	51 millions approx.
Services
Preceding station   Indian Railways   Following station Khammam New Delhi–Chennai main line Tenali Eluru Howrah-Chennai main line Tenali Terminus Vijayawada–Gudivada section Madhura Nagar

Vijayawada railway station is an Indian railway station in Vijayawada of Andhra Pradesh. It is the second busiest railway junction of Indian Railways, next to Mumbai Central and is situated on the mutual lines of Howrah-Chennai and New Delhi–Chennai main lines. The station is the divisional headquarters of Vijayawada railway division in South Central Railway zone.

Vijayawada railway station is categorized as an A-1 station and also one of the ten model stations in the Vijayawada division. It is also one of the busiest railway stations in India with over 400 trains of freight and passenger pass through it and serving about 1.40 lakh passengers everyday.

History

Vijayawada railway station in 2014

View of Platform 6 of Vijayawada Railway Station with 12713 (BZA-SC) Satavahana Express

The Vijayawada 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 fastest 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.

Layout

Vijayawada station has the standard station layout with a perfect traction inside the station. All the tracks in the station are broad gauge and electrified.

Platforms

The station has 10 platforms and all the tracks are broad gauge. The seventh platform of the station is the largest of all.

Junction

Vijayawada station is a junction station for four sections. They are:

• Vijayawada-Gudur section
• Vijayawada–Gudivada section
• Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada section
• Kazipet–Vijayawada section

Performance and earnings

Vijayawada Railway Station

No. of platforms		10
Trains	Passenger	250
	Freight	150
Passengers	Per day	1.40 lakh
	Annual	50 million

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.

The Vijayawada Junction also houses a Diesel Loco Shed which has the WDM-2 Locomotive and also an Electric Loco Shed which has the WAG-7, WAM-4, WAG-5 locos.

Diesel engine train entering Vijayawada Junction

WAG5 class Electric loco at Vijayawada Railway Station

Satellite stations

The Vijayawada station has several satellite stations in order to reduce the congestion on the main station. They are:

#	Station Name
1	Gunadala
2	Kondapalli
3	Krishna Canal
3	Rayanapadu
5	Gannavaram Station
6	Mustabada Station
7	Uppaluru Station
8	Ramavarappadu Station
9	Nidamanuru Station
10	Madhuranagar Station

Infrastructure

Since the headquarters of South-East railway moved to Bhubaneswar from Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada Railway station has seen major development and new appearance in the last five years. In the FY 2009, the Indian Railways Company board allocated ₹3.5 crore (US$520,000) for improvements to the transport hub. 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.

See also

• List of railway stations in India

External links

• South Central Railway
• Vijayawada travel guide from Wikivoyage