Visakhapatnam awarded Best Tourist-Friendly Railway Station in India

In yet another proud addition to the city’s coveted showcase, Visakhapatnam railway station has been awarded national tourism award for the best tourist-friendly railway station in the country. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel presented the award to Visakhapatnam railway officials at a programme held in New Delhi on Friday, on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

Visakhapatnam railway station has won the recognition for excelling in several aspects. The authorities have been applauded for the measures being taken to maintain the station premises and disposal of solid waste. It may be noted that the station was recognised as the cleanest railway station in the country by the Quality Council of India in 2017.

The station has also fetched plaudits for the availability of basic amenities to passengers, capacity to accommodate about 1900 passengers at the same time, and connectivity to nearby tourists places. A few other tourist-friendly features, which set Visakhapatnam railway station apart, include facilitation of cashless transactions, AC and non-AC waiting halls, pharmacies, gaming zone, refreshing lounge, and executive lounge among others.

Additionally, the state also bagged national tourism awards in the categories of ‘Best State for comprehensive development of tourism’ and ‘Excellence in publishing in English’. The awards were received by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao and  AP Tourism Authority (APTA) CEO Pravin Kumar.