State Minister for MSME, Rural Poverty Alleviation, and NRI Empowerment Kondapalli Srinivas on Wednesday requested the railway authorities to halt some long-distance passenger trains at Gajapathinagaram railway station, pointing out the commuters struggle. The trains such as the Rayagada Passenger, Alappuzha-Bokaro Express, Visakhapatnam-Koraput Express, Bhubaneswar-Koraput Express, and the Samata Express should halt, he added.

The Minister met with Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Lalith Bohra at the Waltair Division office in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday to discuss infrastructure improvements at the Gajapathinagaram railway station.

During the meeting, he highlighted the difficulties faced by pilgrims. Mr. Srinivas specifically requested a stoppage for the weekly Varanasi-bound express train. He noted that at least 150 passengers from the region currently travel to Vizianagaram, which is approximately 23 km away from Gajapathinagaram, to board the train, and a halt at Gajapathinagaram would significantly relieve them from travel burden.

Furthermore, the Minister sought the introduction of reservation facilities for the Visakhapatnam Express at the station.

Published - July 15, 2026 07:13 pm IST