Vijayawada Station's ₹946Cr Revamp Gets a Fresh Start

Indian Railways is preparing to issue fresh tenders for the redevelopment of Vijayawada railway station after the earlier bidding process received a limited response from contractors, officials said.

The redevelopment project, estimated at ₹946.60 crore, includes mandatory infrastructure works worth ₹661.11 crore to be implemented under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model, commonly referred to as the public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

The Ministry of Railways has identified 15 railway stations nationwide for redevelopment through the PPP model, with Vijayawada station among the selected projects. The execution responsibility has been assigned to the Rail Land Development Authority.

Officials noted that several station redevelopment projects in Andhra Pradesh — including those at Visakhapatnam, Nellore and Tirupati — have already been completed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS). However, the Vijayawada project represents a transition toward the PPP-based approach for large-scale station modernization.

A consultancy representative involved in stakeholder consultations said developers are seeking more time to fully understand the PPP framework and bidding conditions, as this is among the first railway station redevelopment projects in the region to follow this model.

The proposed upgrade aims to transform Vijayawada station into a modern, airport-style transit hub featuring new East and West terminal buildings, an expanded foot overbridge connecting all platforms, multi-level car parking facilities and modernization of all 10 platforms. Once completed, the redeveloped station is expected to accommodate up to 20,000 passengers during peak hours.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.