VELLORE: The Rs 365-crore Katpadi Railway junction redevelopment project, the foundation stone of which was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday through videoconferencing, will be implemented on a total area of around 86 acres and a built-up area of 30,000 sq.m. The project aims to give the station a facelift with world-class passenger amenities.
Separate arrival and departure terminals will be built to ease passenger movement, and an enhanced parking capacity to accommodate 220 four-wheelers, 1,100 two-wheelers, and 170 auto-rickshaws will be developed. While five sheltered platforms and one goods platform will be set up, multi-level car and two-wheeler parking facilities are also proposed. The station will be made completely disabled-friendly.
It will have a spacious lobby area, a forecourt with a help desk, a spacious concourse with seating facility, a food court, budget hotels, stalls for essentials, retail kiosks, commercial areas, and bed lifts for transportation of patients.
Another proposal is for a 5-m wide skywalk connecting the departure terminal with the bus stop on National Highway 75 towards Bengaluru. The redevelopment will be done in an eco-friendly manner with stress on efficient water and energy management measures such as setting up of a sewage treatment plant, rainwater harvesting, 100% use of LED lights, skylights to minimise energy usage, integrated solar panels over platform shelters and rooftops, and use of eco-friendly refrigerants.
Katpadi is one of the oldest railway junctions in the country with current rail traffic of 154 trains and a footfall of around 30,000 passengers a day. The project estimates an increase in footfall to 90,000 passengers a day by 2061. Arakkonam MP S Jagathrakshakan, Vellore MP Kathir Anand, and Vellore Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar were present during the event at Katpadi junction.