PM Modi To Visit Telangana To Flag Off Vande Bharat Train And Launch Rs 700 Crore Secunderabad Station Redevelopment Project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the southern state on 19 January to flagoff Vande Bharat train and launch railway station redevelopment works.

This would be the Prime Minister’s second visit in the last two months. The PM visited Telangana in November 2022 to launch Rs 9,500 crore development projects in Ramagundam of Telangana.

This time, PM Modi will be visiting Hyderabad to flagoff Vande Bharat train between Secunderabad and Vijayawada, and launch Rs 699 crore redevelopment works at Secunderabad railway station.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, PM Modi may also launch development works like a second railway line between Secunderabad and Mahabubnagar, and Kazipet wagon workshop.

With BJP’s increased focus on Telangana, PM Modi Telangana tour has gained special attention. The legal and political tussle between BJP and BRS (formerly TRS) is intensifying amid the approaching state assembly elections scheduled for November or December this year.

Recently, BJP also launched a mission to secure 90 assembly seats among 119 seats of Telangana assembly.

First Vande Bharat train in Telugu states

The Vande Bharat train to be launched between Secunderabad and Vijayawada is expected to be extended till Visakhapatnam soon.

The Vande Bharat Express would take just eight hours to travel from Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad, unlike the current express trains, which take 12 to 14 hours.

The country's first Vande Bharat Express train was flagged off in 2019 on the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route.

The first semi-high-speed service for south India was started on the Chennai-Mysuru route recently.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a target to make 75 Vande Bharat trains on the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.

Keeping up with the Prime Minister’s vision, these trains would be manufactured and rolled out across the nation before 15 August 2023.

Redevelopment plan of Secunderabad railway station

In June 2022, South Central Railway floated a tender for the redevelopment of Secunderabad railway station.

Secunderabad is a major intercity junction railway station and a commuter rail hub in the Hyderabad urban area. It also serves as the hub of South Central Railways.

The redevelopment project will be executed in an EPC – Engineering, Procurement and Construction model and targeted to be completed within 36 months.

Under the redevelopment plan of Secunderabad railway station, a new three-storey station building encompassing 22,516 square meters will be constructed in the north sude. The existing south-side building will be extended and developed with G+3 floors - 14,792 sq.mts.

Construction of double storey sky concourse of 108 metres width with first tier will serve for passengers and second tier will serve for public as a rooftop plaza of 24,604 sq.mts. A mutli-level (five levels) parking has been planned at the north-side of the station.