Varkala railway station to get a 123-crore makeover

Thiruvananthapuram: Varkala Sivagiri railway station is all set to get a major facelift. Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) has invited an expression of interest (EoI) for redevelopment of the station under Thiruvananthapuram division, on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. The estimated project cost is Rs 123.36 crore and the construction period is 30 months. As per the bid document, the aim of the project is to upgrade the railway station and give a new iconic identity to the city of Varkala. The station shall be safe, accessible, easy to use and inclusive for passengers, staff, visitors and the public, the document notes.The scope of the document notes that the entire project shall provide disabled-friendly environment with access ramps, lifts, tactile flooring, suitable toilets, handrails for support, braille signs, aural messages, necessary signages, dedicated parking and other accessible facilities as per ‘Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disability and Elderly Persons, February 2016’ issued by the ministry of urban development.The entire project will be designed to have green building features with facilities for reduction in energy consumption during construction as well as operations & maintenance, which is designed with passive energy saving features, which promotes usage of local materials and reuses the existing materials to the extent possible.Architectural ambience will be such that the entire station premises will present a unified theme through appropriate facade, finishes, colours, materials, textures for overall look and feel.The project facilities include main station building with a built-up area of 9,944 sq m, a departure air-concourse, arrival foot overbridge (FOB), extension of existing arrival FOB, substation, internal roads, surface parking area, pathway, stormwater drains, etc.The project envisages a well-designed station with adequate areas for ticketing, boarding and deboarding trains, waiting for trains and other requirements such as information, water, toilets, retail areas for food and other purposes. The premises shall have segregation of arrival /departure passengers, congestion-free and conflict-free entry/ exits, and parking arrangements. The design will focus on non-motorized transport including walking and cycling through dedicated footpaths and tabletop crossings, etc., the bid document notes.The scope of work includes construction of office spaces for railway offices on the west side of station building and construction of temporary office spaces to accommodate shifted offices during execution of the project.Integrated passenger information system (IPIS), computerized passenger announcement system (PAS), video surveillance system, Wi-Fi, LAN and other communication systems, baggage scanning system, door frame metal detector (DFMD), LED signages, electronic coach indication boards and CCTVs will be other key features.