HYDERABAD: The iconic Tirupati railway station, proposed to be taken up by the IRSDC for a complete overhaul at an estimated cost of Rs 526 crore, including rebuilding the entire station, has hit a roadblock with the Tirupati Municipal Corporation not alienating land for the purpose.
Tirupati Station Redevelopment is taken up in coordination with Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC) and GPM Architects (GPMA).
Tirupati is one of the important NSG-2 (erstwhile A1) category stations of SCR zone with an average footfall of 75, 000 passengers per day, with the auspicious periods seeing a huge rush of traffic.
An official in the SC railway said, “The tenders that had been floated have been recalled as SCR did not get permission from the municipal authorities and TUDA, to use certain parts of the land. Therefore the process has been put on hold and tenders will be floated again soon,” he said. The up-gradation of the station building to International Standards, includes three additional platforms in addition to the existing five platforms, additional amenities to accommodate the projected increase of footfalls of around one lakh people per day and beautification of station facade depicting the Dravidian style of architecture, among others.
While this is so, sources in the SCR confirmed that important trains from Telangana are all set to be privatised. Reportedly, a process similar to that of the privatisation of Lucknow Delhi Tejas Express will be followed.