Tirupati: Redevelopment of Tirupati Railway Station, a critical part of the infrastructure project to transform the temple city, is progressing at a rapid pace, Tirupati MP Dr. M. Gurumurthy disclosed on Wednesday.
With an annual footfall of around 60 million passengers, the station is being upgraded to meet international standards. It will become the "crown jewel" of Tirupati upon completion, he maintained.
The MP inspected the ongoing works at the railway station on Wednesday. A review meeting followed the inspection during which officials made a PowerPoint presentation on the progress of the station's redevelopment, alongside other critical infrastructure projects such as railway underbridges and foot overbridges.
Speaking to media after the review, Gurumurthy explained that the project is being executed at a cost of Rs 300 crore. He underlined that this major facelift became possible due to close coordination between the previous state government and the central government. He maintained that the redevelopment aims to handle the massive influx of pilgrims and tourists that the city witnesses annually.
The YSRC MP affirmed that construction has commenced on the railway underbridge at CRS level crossing 109. Preliminary cable shifting works are in progress at level crossings 108 and 107, near the Cotton Mill and Hero Honda showroom, respectively. He requested railway officials to accelerate the construction of a foot overbridge near the Tirupati bus stand, a project financed by both the MPLAD funds and the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati.
Gurumurthy assured officials his support in overcoming any bureaucratic hurdles towards completing the project in a timely manner. He pointed out that the third railway line between Gudur and Tirupati has been approved. Discussions are on with the district collector to expedite land acquisition for the Pudi-Yerpedu railway line.
The MP announced that Rs 200 crore have been sanctioned for modernisation of Renigunta Railway Station. The work will be executed in four phases.
