The Indian Railway board has granted B-grade status to the Jagdalpur Railway station, official said on Monday. The Waltair division of east Coast Railway has informed this in a letter to the local station manager. The Jagdalpur station was earlier accorded grade-E. With Railways upgrading the grade, it paved way for further improvement of passenger amenities at the railway station.
Divisional Railway manager Waltair Anil Kumar told this reporter necessary steps would be taken soon to improve passenger amenities at the station. The works which have been taken up for this financial year would be completed on schedule time. The works which would be taken up in the next financial year include increase in the height of the platform no one, more facilities for supply of drinking water, construction of a VIP lounge. Works at platform no two and three, foot over bridge and water line works were currently underway at a cost of Rs 1.15 crore, he said.
The first passenger train movement at the Jagdalpur station started in 1976. It was at that time the station was accorded E grade status. Although local residents and people had expected that the status would be upgraded soon, it took more than two decades to get the status. Sources said plans afoot to increase the rate of display advertisements at the Railway station as the up gradation of status would bring more passengers.
