INDIA: Indian Railways has approved a ₹299 crore Visakhapatnam Coaching Yard upgrade that will add six platforms and six lines while introducing electronic interlocking and expanded passenger facilities.

Railway tracks, a signal and a Visakhapatnam Junction station sign
Illustrative view of tracks, signalling and the station sign at Visakhapatnam Junction; the image does not show the current project. Photo: Pinakpani / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Six platforms and six lines will reshape the yard

The Ministry of Railways confirmed the approval on 30 July 2026. Visakhapatnam is a major coaching terminal serving nearly 80,000 passengers and an average of 113 trains each day, so the sanctioned work focuses on removing operational conflicts inside the yard.

Under the approved scope, Indian Railways will widen the station’s existing six platforms, build six additional platforms with modern passenger amenities and construct six new railway lines. Existing loop lines will be removed and point zones reorganised as part of the revised track layout.

Terminating and through trains currently have to negotiate surface crossings within the yard. This can hold services at approach signals, restrict platform availability and complicate movements through the station. The remodelling is intended to reduce those conflicts, shorten detention and allow more trains to be handled.

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Electronic interlocking and a new eastern entrance

Electronic interlocking will be installed across the Visakhapatnam station yard as part of the signalling changes. The passenger-facing package also covers ramps, lifts and escalators on widened platforms, improving step-free movement through the station.

A new entrance is planned on the eastern side, together with relocation of the Passenger Reservation System. Surface parking and a revised circulating-area plan are also included to organise access outside the station.

The yard is administered by South Coast Railway, which formally began operating as an Indian Railways zone with its headquarters in Visakhapatnam on 1 June 2026.

Approval confirmed, construction timetable undisclosed

The ₹299 crore decision authorises the remodelling package, but the announcement does not identify a contractor or state when construction will begin or finish. The operational benefits therefore remain project objectives until the work is implemented.

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