Transportation

Roadways

Visakhapatnam seaport, with harbour interchange fly-by road

Visakhapatnam is one of the major cities on the east coast of India connected by NH5, a major highway and a part of the Golden Quadrilateral system of Indian highways connecting Chennai and Kolkata. The city has a broad network of roads. State owned APSRTC runs buses to various places like Kakinada, Guntur, Kadapa,Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada etc. Also, to distance places

like Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Cuttack etc.

APSRTC Vennela bus

Residents of Visakhapatnam use city buses run by APSRTC, that runs buses along a number of routes across the city and its suburbs. The APSRTC complex at Asilametta is the hub for most of these buses. As of now the city has two Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) on Pendurti and Simhachalam corridors.Click here to view the bus route numbers of visakhapatnam

Railways

See also: East Coast Railway zone and Waltair Railway Division

The station is called Waltair railway station. Later, around 1987, Mr. D. V. Subbarao, the then mayor of Visakhapatnam, changed the name to Visakhapatnam. The Visakhapatnam railway station is administered by the East Coast Railway of Indian Railways and is the headquarters for the Waltair Railway Division. It will be de-linked from East Coast Railway once a new railway zone for Andhra Pradesh is formed and will be part of new zone according to AP Reorganisation act 2014.

It is located on the Chennai Central-Howrah Station route, although the main line bypasses the Central Station. Duvvada railway station, a suburban station on the main line (near the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant) is being developed into a satellite hub to improve train service into the city.

There are direct rail links to many parts both in and outside the state to all major junctions. The K-K line from Visakhapatnam to Kirandul via Araku is laid through eastern ghats. Up to Araku station it is having 84 bridges and 58 tunnels.^[30] Also, it pass through South India's highest elevation broad gauge station, Similiguda, just before Borra caves. Visakhapatnam also shelters the country's largest Diesel Loco Shed with a capacity of 206.^[31]

Metro A metro rail project has also been planned by GVMC to arrest chaotic traffic condition on the streets. After the proposal was submitted by the GVMC in February 2014, the Urban Transport Department gave in-principle approval for going ahead with feasibility studies and DPR. On 25 June Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has called for global tenders for a Detail Project Report to be prepared for a 25 km stretch based on traffic density.^[32] GVMC received bids from RITES, SYSTRA group, SREI infrastructure finance Limited, Hyderabad based Aarvee Associates; Delhi-based LEA Associates South Asia Private Limited and US-based AECOM Consultants for preparing the detailed project report. But later the project went under the scrutiny of a seven member committee set up by the state government and the tender process had to be scrapped.^[33]

Airport

Visakhapatnam Airport

Visakhapatnam Airport is the busiest airport in Andhra Pradesh. It is connected by daily flights with Dubai, Singapore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai,Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Bhubaneshwar, Raipur and to Singapore. Visakhapatnam Airport recently received permission to operate night flights, and the airport is open until 23:55. A new 10,000-foot (3 km) runway is operational to accommodate international flights and larger aircraft. The airport was recently modernised (including aerobridges and immigration booths), and the new terminal was opened on 21 March 2009. Visakhapatnam became an international airport when Air India began flights to Dubai (via Visakhapatnam) on 25 March 2012. Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Air Arabia, Thai Smile Airways and SriLankan Airlines have agreed to begin international flights from Visakhapatnam . Vizag airport became operational round the clock from 1 March 2013.

Seaports

The City, overlooking seaport

On the east coast of India, Visakhapatnam serves as the gateway waterway for Andhra Pradesh. It has one of the country's largest ports, and the oldest shipyard on the east coast. It is a land-locked harbour,^[34] as connected to the sea by a channel cut through rock and sand. Visakhapatnam is one of the busiest ports in India. Vizag Seaport owns two berths in the inner harbour; berth EQ-8 is fully mechanised and berth EQ-9 berth is not. Both berths are capable of handling Panamax vessels. The shipyard at Visakhapatnam is the largest in India. On the Chennai–Kolkota corridor, the city is also a hub for ground traffic. The Gangavaram Port is India's deepest seaport. In December 2010, Coal India agreed to enable an additional berth to be built at the port.^[35]