Passengers suffer as Kothagudem station works move at slow pace

Passengers are facing inconvenience due to the slow pace of modernization works at Kothagudem railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Despite an allocation of Rs 25.41 crore, several key facilities like lifts and waiting halls remain incomplete

Kothagudem: The works related to the modernisation of Kothagudem railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) have been progressing at a slow pace, much to the inconvenience of passengers.

The works were taken up in 2023 with an estimated cost of Rs 25.41 crore and were supposed to be completed within one year. Although South Central Railway officials had earlier issued statements claiming that the works were moving at a fast pace, the ground reality suggests otherwise, as per public complaints.

---

It may be noted that Kothagudem railway station, under the Secunderabad division, was among the 40 railway stations selected for upgradation across Telangana under ABSS. The station was categorised as a non-suburban grade-4 (NSG-4) station.

The proposed works included construction of a 12-metre-wide foot overbridge (FoB), installation of one lift and one escalator, landscaping in circulating areas, and depiction of art and culture in the station premises, in addition to improvement of the station building façade.

However, several works such as the installation of the lift and escalator, development of the waiting hall, platform improvements, and other infrastructure upgrades are yet to be completed. As a result, passengers continue to face difficulties.

The station, which falls under the Dornakal–Manugur section, records an average footfall of 8,020 passengers per day and serves as a key point connecting the temple town of Bhadrachalam and the industrial areas of Paloncha and Manuguru, besides Kothagudem.

During a recent visit, Khammam MP R Raghuram Reddy and Rajya Sabha member G Renuka Chowdhary also expressed concern over the slow pace of renovation and urged officials to expedite the works.

Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) member Y Srinivas Reddy informed that several petitions have been submitted to railway authorities to speed up the works. The issue was also raised in a recent DRUCC meeting, he added.